A Tikanga Maori Programme, facilitated by Orongomai Marae in Upper Hutt, is putting offenders back on the right track by teaching them more about their Maori identity.
Facilitator Joy Bullen and Kaumatua Tamati Kaiwai lead the 12-week programme during which 18 participants learn about traditional Maori concepts and how to apply these in today's modern world.
"We believe that using tikanga Maori can get people to take ownership of their own behaviour and give them more of an opportunity to ultimately change their habits, " says Joy.
Tamati has been delivering similar programmes in Te Whare Whakaahuru, the Maori Focus Unit at Rimutaka Prison, while Joy is a Social Services tutor at Te Wananga o Aotearoa's Porirua campus with long experience working with government agencies. Both are qualified to deliver hard-hitting and life-changing programmes that help offenders reconnect with themselves and their roots.
"Once they have established self-identify, they more readily accept and relate to what is delivered, " says Tamati.
Every session has two parts that start with Tamati teaching traditional tikanga concepts and Joy taking that a step further by applying that knowledge to everyday life.
"Sometimes I use harsh examples, and I make them realise the effect their offending has had on their victims - but in doing this I also help to equip each person with ways to deal with these issues, " says Joy.
At the end of the programme participants are encouraged to bring along whanau to a noho marae. Everyone works together cooking, cleaning, and sleeping on the marae.
A highlight of the noho marae is a graduation ceremony where each participant is awarded a certificate in the presence of family.
"For a lot of them that is the first positive public recognition they have ever received and it's a huge buzz, " says Tamati.
"But it's twice as much a buzz for us to see them hang in there for 12 weeks and graduate."
The impact of the tikanga programme is reflected in the number of participants who request follow-up hui to learn more and keep connected with the people they met on the programme.
Community Probation Service Programme Co-ordinator Terry Snijder works with Tamati and Joy to bring the tikanga programme together and believes in it so much so that he often joins in to support the participants.
"Joy and Tamati share a great empathy with the offenders and their expertise is a reason why many have turned their lives around, " says Terry.
Orongomai Marae will host two more Tikanga Maori Programmes this year, with the next one to start in May.