Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment

Kaumatua have official standing as institutional visitors, and can readily
access prisoners.
Māori Focus Units that incorporate Māori cultural values in daily
routines and programmes. There are five 60-bed Māori Focus Units at
Hawke‟s Bay, Waikeria, Tongariro/Rangipo, Rimutaka and Wanganui
which offer, among other things, Māori Therapeutic Programmes „to
change offending-related attitudes and behaviours‟ (ibid:28). A recent
report from the Department of Corrections (2009b) concluded that
Māori in Focus Units strengthened their cultural knowledge and
enhanced their cultural identity. Prisoners displayed positive change in
terms of offending attitudes and beliefs. Relatively small positive
changes were found in terms of prisoner reconvictions and reimprisonments
and the Units are described as having „yet to operate to
their full potential‟ (ibid:4).
A Māori Services Team has been established to support services for
the rehabilitation and reintegration of Māori offenders, including
effective linking to tribal and sub-tribal groups. The team comprises
three Regional Relationship Managers and ten Area Advisers.
Specialist Māori Cultural Assessment tools that identify the cultural
needs and strengths of Māori offenders to effectively match prisoners
to appropriate Māori interventions.
A Bicultural Therapy Model that provides options for Māori offenders to
undertake psychological treatment using western psychological
services, tikanga Māori based treatment, or a combination of both.
Service providers are endorsed through the participation of hapū and
iwi representatives who participate at regional committee levels.
Whānau Liaison Workers to establish links between prisoners, their
whānau, hapū, iwi, and the local Māori community prior to release.
Whānau Liaison Workers are based in the Māori Focus Units and at
the Northland Region Corrections Facility.
In 2009, Associate Corrections Minister, and Māori Party co-leader, Pita
Sharples sought to advance the Māori Focus Unit idea, by arguing for
alternative rehabilitation centres for Māori prisoners „who are determined to
learn, heal and socialise‟ (Gower, 2009b). In 2010, funding was announced
for two kaupapa Māori reintegration units, Whare Oranga Ake, to be
established. These Units (to be constructed at Hawkes Bay and Spring Hill
prisons) will place emphasis on reintegration services for Māori prisoners, not
only by providing skills for living on the outside but also by taking prisoners
into the community to assist them in establishing connections that will support
them on release.
Following the apparent success of culturally specific interventions for Māori,
there have also been similar advances made in relation to Pacific People:
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