23,000 Children In New Zealand With Parents In Prison Are Victims Of Crime Too
Friday, 21 September, 2012
Press Release: Pillars

Click for big version.

Children of Prisoners Week – 24/30 September 2012

There are around 23,000 children in New Zealand who have a parent in prison and a lack of effective intervention means these children, and especially Māori children, are up to seven times more likely than the average person to end up as prisoners themselves.

Pillars, a charity that supports children and whanau of prisoners in New Zealand, was established over 20 years ago and provides integrated services and support that help prevent inter-generational offending. The range of programmes provided by Pillars includes assisting access to much needed social services but also mentoring of children of prisoners.

The week of 24-30 September is Children of Prisoners Week and the theme is “Not My Crime – Still My Sentence,” with a focus on a positive response to the deprivation that can occur for these children as a result of social dislocation and emotional harm.

A two-year New Zealand study commissioned by Pillars in 2010 studying the children of prisoners has been one of the largest of its kind in the world. Researcher Liz Gordon of Network Research makes a statement in the report which summarises the risk these children face:

“Most of these children live in conditions of significant poverty, where their basic needs struggle to be met. Their special needs are simply unable to be dealt with by families. Families endure these effects, and are resigned to the children, in many cases, getting into trouble. This lack of hope in good futures for the children is a tragedy in a land of opportunity.”
Pillars Founder and CEO Verna McFelin has found through working with children of prisoners that they suffer isolation through judgement from friends, family and the community.

“There is often a sense of shame and a fear of being labelled. No one appears to understand or care what is happening to them and their self-confidence is eroded by people criticising their relationship with the prisoner.”
A range of activities during Children of Prisoners Week include a viewing of an exhibition in Christchurch called “Collateral Convicts”, which looks at the question – “if my parents go to prison, what happens to me?” This was recently displayed in Geneva at the United Nations Children of Incarcerated Parents Discussion Day. At this day, Pillars was recognised for the www.justus.org.nz website for children of prisoners.

The exhibition focuses on the neglected issue of children of incarcerated parents and includes drawings and quotes by children from across the world and seeks to fulfil the rights of these children.

Through Children of Prisoners Week, Pillars hopes to raise the awareness of the support these children need in New Zealand to restore hope of a positive future for them that is free of imprisonment.

If you are on Facebook, please go to our Children’s Week page at www.facebook.com/pages/Children.of.prisoners.week and “like” us. This will keep you up-to-date with what’s happening during the week.
Find out more about Pillars at www.pillars.org.nz

About Pillars:
A charity for children of prisoners: break the cycle of crime
The programme run by the children's charity Pillars is designed to support children and families of prisoners. The aim is to assist these children in getting the support services needed to help prevent intergenerational offending and imprisonment. Children of prisoners need hope and guidance to grow up to be healthy adults. They need a safe place to live, care and protection during their parent's absence, comfort and affection, food and access to healthcare, an education, their public status and private self-image preserved and an opportunity to reach their full potential.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage