The Violence Prevention Unit, based at Rimutaka Prison, is a 30-bed special treatment unit for violent offenders.
New Zealand research has shown that special treatment rehabilitation programmes can produce significant reductions in the rate of re-offending for violent offenders.
The Violence Prevention Unit was established to:
• Treat men who have committed violent offences and who are at high risk of further violent offending.
• Provide participants with the skills to avoid re-offending.
Aims
The Violence Prevention Unit aims to reduce re-offending and build safer communities by:
• Helping prisoners to understand their offending patterns and the problems linked to their offending, while motivating them to take responsibility for addressing and managing their violent behaviour.
• Identifying and addressing the triggers associated with the violent offending so that each person is better able to manage their risk of reoffending.
• Increasing the safety of the public by providing prisoners with lifelong skills that will assist them to manage their risk factors.
The programme
Research has proven that programmes, activities and therapy are most effective when matched with a prisoner's rehabilitative needs, characteristics and demographics including their cultural background.
• The Department of Corrections Community Probation and Psychological Services runs the Violence Prevention Unit in conjunction with Prison Services.
• The therapy component of the programme is entirely group-based, as research has shown that this is more effective than individual treatment alone.
• Each group generally consists of 10 participants. The programme requires their full participation in therapy groups, community meetings, case management, cultural sessions, and educational/vocational training. The entire programme takes approximately eleven months; it includes intensive pre- and post-treatment phases.
• Each treatment group is facilitated by either psychologists or rehabilitation workers. The unit also has a full-time Cultural Consultant.
• The programme helps prisoners examine the patterns of their offending and identifies high risk situations. The therapy component of the programme content is structured into modules that address risk factors for re-offending. Modules include:
• The programme uses cognitive behavioural and relapse prevention models to treat prisoners. The programme is based on social learning principles, which views violence as a learned behaviour.
Effective treatment
The therapy programme was evaluated in 2002. The evaluation revealed that treated prisoners were less likely to re-offend compared to non-treated prisoners.
Eligibility
To be admitted to the Violence Prevention Unit, prisoners must:
• Have a history of violent offending (index violence plus two or more previous violent convictions).
• Be serving a sentence of imprisonment long enough to participate in the entire programme.
• Have a high to very high risk of further violent re-offending (RoC*RoI of 0.7 and above or an ASRS score of 3 and above).
• Have no significant barriers to participation such as literacy or language difficulties, brain injury, motivation deficits, or major mental health issues.
• Not be facing further criminal charges.
• Not be IDU for at least two months prior to entry.
• Be aged 20 years and over (18 – 20 year old prisoners are considered on a case-by-case basis).
Prisoner obligations
Prisoners admitted to the Violence Prevention Unit must:
• Undergo an extensive assessment by the therapy team at the unit.
• Be honest about their offending and open to changing problematic patterns of behaviour.
• Be willing to support other participants to address the issues that contribute to their offending behaviour.
• Not use threatening or violent behaviour (men who do use violence or repeated threats of violence can be evicted from the programme).
• Understand that they can refuse further treatment and are free to withdraw from the programme at any time.
General information
• The Violence Prevention Unit at Rimutaka Prison opened in March 1998.
• An information package outlining the programme is provided to all potential participants.
• Most participants will have a New Zealand Parole Board hearing while at the unit. A psychological report is provided to the Board outlining treatment participation and progress.
• Reintegration meetings include discussion of safety plans with identified support people and family members and allow the development of strategies to help the prisoner avoid further offending.
• Many prisoners leaving the programme will have parole conditions to comply with, which may include further treatment to support their reintegration back into the community.