The Kowhiritanga programme is designed to help women offenders examine the causes of their offending and develop specific skills to prevent them re-offending. The programme is based on Western therapies and is designed to be responsive to Maori women.
Participants identify patterns in their thinking, emotions and behaviours that lead them to offend. They develop their own personalised programme plan that identifies risk factors linked to their offending.
The Kowhiritanga programme can be provided in both prisons and the community.
The programme is aimed at women who are at risk of re-offending. Priority is given to participants who identify as Maori.
The Kowhiritanga programme is delivered over 103 hours (40 sessions) by a programme facilitator and a psychologist to groups of up to 10 participants.
Sessions are intensive and usually run for 2.5 hours, four days a week, except the first and last two sessions, which run for 3.5 hours.
The Kowhiritanga programme assists offenders to develop coping skills so they can manage high-risk situations and impulsivity. Components woven throughout the programme address:
In the community
If an offender is eligible for the programme, the probation officer waitlists the offender in IOMS and forwards the completed referral form to the programme liaison manager (PLM) for CPPS Head Office approval. Once approved the probation officer places the offender on the tentative list for the programme in IOMS.
In prisons
If a prisoner is sentence planned for the programme and is eligible, the prison scheduler places the prisoner on the waitlist for the programme in IOMS.