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