Tikanga Maori doesn’t reduce re-offending

Stephen Franks Thursday, 23 June 2005

Press Releases - Crime & Justice

Hiding in the race-based funding review masked in bland officialese is the announcement of a reversal of the foundation plank of Labour’s corrections policy, ACT Justice spokesman Stephen Franks said today.

“Throughout their Labour Government, Corrections has been bleeding good staff who could no longer stomach the enforced participation in separatism.

“Swaggering oafs have been given warrior training in supposedly therapeutic programmes to reduce re-offending.

“Staff have been directed to treat people differently depending on race, despite their protests that it was sending the message that Maori- ness was being equated with criminality.

“So experienced probation officers have bailed out and morale was destroyed in many officers as they were replaced by bewildered new recruits or race zealots.

“Now buried deep in the reports we have the admission…”there is, however, limited evidence of the effectiveness of using tikanga Maori as a medium to reduce reoffending and I have recommended that the Department of Corrections undertake an effectiveness evaluation of these programmes, focusing on the outcome of reducing reoffending.”

“The review is to report in October, safely after the election. Experienced staff who have left in disgust in the last six years could save the time. The focus has always been wrong in principle and in practice,” Mr Franks said.

ENDS

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