Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga

Minister of Corrections

24 November 2015

Employers urged to give offenders a chance

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga hosted a breakfast today for more than 80 employers in a bid to help find jobs for offenders and reduce reoffending.

The employer engagement breakfast in Auckland, which was also attended by Prime Minister John Key, gave some of New Zealand’s biggest employers the chance to hear about the work Corrections is doing to provide offenders with job skills.

Employers who are already onboard with the programme also shared their experiences of hiring offenders.

“Having a job is a crucial to reducing reoffending,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga. “Being in employment means regular pay. It means having money to buy food and clothes for your family. It means a more stable and rewarding life.”

The government has set Corrections the target of reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017. This would equate to 600 fewer people going back to prison and 4000 fewer people being reconvicted on community offences.

More importantly, it means 18,500 fewer victims of crime.

“We can all play a part in making our communities safer. If you can give someone a job, it will make a real difference to the path their life is taking,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

“The message I want to convey to employers is that they can help make a positive difference to the lives of offenders, their families and their communities.”

It is planned that more forums will be held Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton in future.

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