Professor David Brown of the University of NSW says the world is approaching a watershed moment in attitudes to crime, today's DominionPost reports.  Professor Brown is in Wellington this week as a guest of the Henwood Trust and Robson Hanan Trust.

An expatriate Kiwi, Brown is an acknowledged international expert on the effects of incarceration on crime rates and public safety.

Yesterday Brown keynoted a gathering of 70 leading New Zealanders from the business, education, justice and general social community. Held under Chatham House rules, the event canvassed a range of ideas about how to address New Zealand's high incarceration rate - second only to the USA in the developed world.

Today Brown will feature on Radio NZ's "Nine to Noon" show, then address a public gathering at St Andrews on the Terrace at 12.30pm.