Corrections Rehabilitation Programme Facilitator Rarite Mataki runs therapeutic programmes for offenders, both prison and community-based, in the Manawatu.

The programmes must be effective for Māori offenders, so Rarite, like the almost 100 other programme facilitators across the country, uses tikanga Māori (Māori cultural practices and customs) and Māori models to prompt motivation for change.

These include evaluating lifestyle balance from a cultural perspective. These support western psychological theories such as cognitive behavioural therapy, to help offenders learn the skills to turn their lives around.

To support him, Rarite has fortnightly meetings with a cultural supervisor – an external service provider, contracted to give him guidance to ensure that cultural concepts are effectively weaved into the programmes.

Rarite says his discussions with his cultural supervisor always reflect what’s going on in the group he’s facilitating at the time.

“Last time we met, we discussed a young man in the group who found it very hard to articulate strong emotions – he tended to shut down and withdraw. This was happening in the group, and also at home. When he did communicate he was very emotional and very hard to work with.

“The young man was quite strongly embedded in tikanga Māori, so we helped him link cognitive behavioural concepts of working with feelings, thoughts and behaviours with his world view.

“He was familiar with marae protocol, so I helped him link his feelings with the powhiri process. For example, when visitors come through the gate to the front of the marae they are in an area governed by the Māori deity Tūmātauenga who is the god of war, including of battles of wits or minds.

“Then visitors remove their shoes and move to the wharenui, a place of peace, governed by Rongomatāne.

“This transition from one domain to another, with the idea of leaving things at the door, gave the young man in the group a way to identify where, when, and how to manage his emotions appropriately.”

“After this, his understanding of himself was so much greater he was able to identify strategies he could use to cope with his emotions. He became much easier to work with, his home life improved, and he completed the programme successfully.”

Another important part of the programme facilitator’s role involves reducing any cultural tensions within a group.

Rarite recalls a pre-group interview he had with a pakeha offender who said he ‘had a problem being around Māori and Asians’.
“Obviously, I’m Māori, and I knew there would be Māori offenders in the group, so we needed to deal with this.

“One way I diffuse cultural tensions is to make the situation more universal. So I asked him what he does in general if he meets people he doesn’t know.

“He said he would spend time talking to them, asking where they were from and so on. Then I was able to bring it back to Māori and Asian people more specifically, and he realised it was something he needed to work on.

“Interestingly, the first friend he made in the group was Māori – so it worked out well.”

Manager of Programme Delivery for the Central Region Peter Arnold says programme facilitators must be culturally competent, but their cultural supervisor is there to support them in what can be a challenging role.

“Anō me he whare pūngāwerewere,” quotes Peter. “This whakaataukī (proverb) means ‘It is like the web of spider’ and refers to delicate work such as weaving or carving – or delivering a culturally competent rehabilitation programme!”

The main rehabilitation delivered throughout the country is the Medium Intensity Rehabilitation Programme, which is delivered over 134.5 hours (53 sessions) and is aimed at offenders with a ‘medium’ risk of re-offending.

Offenders could have committed any crime from violent crimes, to dishonesty offences, to drug offences.

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ISSN 1178-8453

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