The Public Service Association welcomes the announcement of a new strategic direction for the justice system, but says
union members want to be properly included in designing the system they will eventually implement.
The union for prison and probation officers, Ministry of Justice staff, social workers and mental health professionals
says a renewed emphasis on rehabilitation and treatment signals a long overdue departure from failed punitive policies.
"We need to deal with the realities and root causes of crime and the racism in our current system. This means
confronting the shameful fact that New Zealand has one of the highest percentages of its population behind bars in the
developed world, with Māori over represented in particular," says PSA National Secretary Glenn Barclay.
"Poverty, alienation, drug addiction and the mental health crisis all feed into these grim statistics, and we strongly
support the government’s commitment to a fresh approach. People need more support before, during and after being
incarcerated to help them stop re-offending and find work and housing."
The two reports released today by Justice Minister Andrew Little are based on extensive engagement with a range of New
Zealand communities, and propose independent mechanisms to allow for Māori leadership in tackling the disproportionate
number of Māori serving prison sentences.
Despite this engagement, however, there is little attention given in the reports to the needs and perspectives of
workers employed in the criminal justice system. The PSA calls for this to change, and in particular for Māori workers
to be included moving forward.
"Locking people up and throwing away the key simply does not work. It doesn’t deter criminals and it doesn’t reduce
offending. It has massive impacts on families that flow through generations," says Mr Barclay.
"Instead our prisons are overcrowded and their resources are stretched thin, putting both corrections staff and inmates
in danger. If the government wants these reforms to succeed, they need to listen to what workers have to say and give
them an increased role in both design and delivery."
ENDS