Principal Corrections Officer Dale Grant
Maori Focus Units were set up in prisons around the country to respond better to the needs of Maori. They offer an environment where staff and prisoners work together to learn how to live by tikanga Maori (Maori values and principles) to improve their lives and increase their mana.
Corrections opened the first Maori Focus Unit at Hawkes Bay Prison in 1997 and there are now units have been opened at Waikeria, Tongariro/Rangipo, Rimutaka and Wanganui Prisons. All are stand-alone 60 bed units.
Hawkes Bay Acting Maori Focus Unit Manager Dale Grant says some prisoners mistakenly think the Unit will be an easy lag. "But once they’re in, that all changes. The kaupapa (strategy or philosophy) here is more stringent than in a mainstream unit," he says.
Entry to a Maori Focus Unit is through a referral process. To be referred, the men must be low-medium or minimum security prisoners who do not use drugs, are willing to address their offending and agree to abide by the Unit’s kaupapa/kawa (rules). Once referred, prisoners are interviewed by a panel of Unit staff, kaumatua, and a padre (minister). The panel discuss custodial and security issues, such as whether or not to accept high-profile gang members or troublesome prisoners.
"A lot is expected of the prisoners here - and it works. We have fewer incident reports and misconduct reports than most other comparable units in the prison," says Dale.
It’s an achievement to be proud of and Dale says the prisoners also find pride in the Unit.
"Most men, once they’ve settled in, develop a deep respect for the Unit. Staff actively manage prisoners and enourage men to think not about themselves as individuals, but about the Unit as a whole, and what they are contributing to it."
A typical day in the Maori Focus Unit at Hawkes Bay Prison differs significantly from mainstream units. The same security measures and rules are enforced, but structured tikanga-based activity starts at 6am unlock and continues until final lockdown at 7.45pm.
Karakia (prayers) are said first thing in the morning. Then all prisoners do 30 minutes of physical "well-being training", such as gym workouts, before breakfast. Some prisoners join work parties at nearby marae or do forestry work. Others attend classes in National Certificate in Employment Skills subjects and programmes such as waiata (song), kapa haka, whakapapa (genealogy), te reo and whakairo (carving) which are taught by facilitators, kaumatua or prisoners with experience.
After lunch, prisoners do various courses such as mana wahine (respect for women) and manaakitanga (leadership skills). Prisoners also have free time to read, play chess or carve.
After dinner, four nights a week, the Unit runs the 120-hour Maori Therapeutic Programme that deals directly with prisoners' offending and helps to give them the tools not to re-offend. The Programme gives the men better awareness, for example, of triggers and high-risk situations.
The Unit also runs other, occasional programmes. For example, the men may have an overnight noho or wananga, where programme facilitators, staff and prisoners all sleep and eat communally, and practise tikanga such as kotahitanga (being one) and awhitanga (supporting/helping).
Gateway taonga over the entrance to the Maori Focus Unit at Hawkes Bay Prison.
The day's activities allow for plenty of interaction between staff, including the kaumatua and kuia who support the Unit, and the prisoners. The aim is that the prosocial interactions will help prisoners learn how to apply tikanga to their everyday life.
"Without support from our kaumatua and kaitiaki, our Unit could not and would not function. These people are the experts, and our kaumatua and kuia have a passion for this whare. Where it has been, where it is currently, and where it is going in the future," says Dale.
When the Maori Focus Units were independently evaluated in 2005 they were seen as meeting a real need in relation to Maori prisoners. In mid-2006, Associate Minister of Corrections, Hon. Mita Ririnui conducted another review.
"Maori Focus Units are generally operating in a way that is likely to assist in reducing reoffending by Maori, " he concluded in the report’s covering letter.
A more in-depth effectiveness evaluation is due to begin in the 2007-08 financial year and will be completed by 2009.
Certainly, at the Maori Focus Unit at Hawke’s Bay, the day is filled with opportunities for prisoners to learn about tikanaga Maori and gain skills to take with them on release.
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ISSN 1178-8453