Kia Marama means ‘let there be light and insight’, and there was plenty of each at the open day held recently at Rolleston Prison’s special treatment unit for men who sexually offend against children.
Held every two years, the open day is a chance for visitors to see how the therapeutic programme works to help stop child sex offenders from re-offending.
Visitors viewed Kia Marama’s facilities, visited the therapy rooms and learned how psychological treatment is delivered. Groups were led by unit staff and by men who had completed the Kia Marama programme and who volunteer to help escort the groups and talk to visitors about how the programme benefited them.
“The Kia Marama open day is our day of accountability, where visitors can draw their own conclusions about what we’re doing to protect the children of New Zealand from abuse,” says Kia Marama Principal Psychologist Bronwyn Rutherford.
“By allowing visitors the opportunity to discuss offenders’ experience of treatment with them directly, they can see first hand how the programme works,” she says.
“As a therapeutic community, the men are required to ‘live’ what they learn during the programme, by applying it to group sessions. Kia Marama is a community of change, which is challenging for the men at times, but they can explain how this has benefited them.”
Also open for inspection were cells and the unit’s tailoring workshop.
Workshop Instructor Mike Brewer, who used to work on the famed Saville Row, explained how the men, many who have never sewn before, are trained in industrial sewing, producing clothing such as jackets, overalls and vests for Corrections and external clients.
Kia Marama is one of two special treatment units for child sex offenders run by Corrections - the other is Te Piriti at Auckland Prison.
“The Kia Marama open day acknowledges the efforts of the men in addressing their offending, and of the custodial and psychological staff who work together to create an environment where these men can acquire the skills and motivation to change their offending behaviour,” says Public Prisons Service Southern Regional Manager Paul Monk.
A 60 bed unit was established in 1989 at Rolleston Prison with a stand-alone treatment unit attached. Public Prison Service and Psychological Service staff work at the Unit.
The Kia Marama programme aims to:
After being referred to Kia Marama, new prisoners move into the unit and are assessed in-depth over a two to three week period. Once accepted into the programme, the men spend nine hours a week in treatment over a nine-month period. During this time they participate in modules covering team building and the offence chain. They learn about the factors that contributed to their offending, victim impact and empathy, understanding the effects of offending, modifying sexual arousal, learning how to recognise and manage feelings, relationship skills, sexuality, staying safe, and safe release planning.
These goals are achieved by:
Following the programme, all participants are reassessed for progress made in treatment.
Research in 1998 indicated that the treatment at Kia Marama reduced re-offending by more than 50 percent. About 8 percent of men who had completed Kia Marama reoffended, compared with 22-25 percent of offenders who had not been treated. Analysis of those treated since 1994 found re-offending rates of 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent respectively for Maori and New Zealand European offenders, indicating Kia Marama is becoming even more effective.
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ISSN 1178-8453