INDEPENDENT NEWS

Evaluation of Te Piriti sex offenders programme

Published: Thu 11 Sep 2003 01:35 PM
11 September 2003 Media Statement
Evaluation of Te Piriti sex offenders programme shows encouraging results
The Corrections Minister Paul Swain says an evaluation of a prison-based treatment unit for child sex offenders has shown encouraging results.
Mr Swain says Te Piriti special treatment programme has been evaluated by the Department's Psychological Service.
The Service studied 201 men convicted of sexual offending against children, who took part in Te Piriti at Auckland Prison and were released before May 2000.
"The results show offenders who completed Te Piriti were much less likely to sexually reoffend than those who did not take part in the programme."
"Offenders who completed the 40-week programme had a 5.47% sexual recidivism rate in the years following their release. This was significantly lower than the 21% sexual recidivism rate for comparable offenders who did not undertake the programme."
"Maori men had an even lower sexual reoffending rate, of 4.41%, compared with 6% for non-Maori."
Te Piriti also compared favourably with another prison-based programme for child sex offenders, Kia Marama.
Maori men who complete Kia Marama at Rolleston Prison have a 13.58% sexual recidivism rate, compared with the 4.41% rate for Maori men on Te Piriti.
Te Piriti combines psychological best practice such as cognitive behavioural therapy, with a tikanga Maori framework.
Mr Swain says "the results give the Corrections Department a way forward to refine and enhance other programmes for offenders. It is already moving to introduce the Te Piriti model into other programmes."
Info about Te Piriti: www.corrections.govt.nz/public/AboutUs/FactSheets

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