In this issue of Naku, new Whangarei Probation Officer Trevor Baker shares his journey from taxi driving to Corrections.
Ko Trevor Baker toku ingoa
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Horouta te waka
Ko Tutanihoniho te Rangatira
Ko Hiruharama te Whare Tipuna
Ko Te Aitanga a mate te hāpū
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi
Greetings and salutations, my name is Trevor Baker. I hail from Gisborne and am married with four children. I recently relocated to Whangarei from Auckland in search of new challenges, a career opportunity for my wife in becoming a nurse, and a change of lifestyle for my whānau.
Before joining Corrections, I spent 15 years as a taxi proprietor with Auckland Co-op Taxis. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent as a cabbie and credit the experience and opportunity to my Dad who started me off at the age of 21.
About six years ago I joined the Public Prisons Service as a Corrections Officer working at the Auckland Central Remand Prison, Mt Eden Men’s and Women’s Prisons and Paremoremo, before relocating to work at the Northland Region Corrections Facility at Ngawha, near Kaikohe. While there I became a Senior Corrections Officer appointed to various units during start-up phase.
During the past six years I have observed a lot of changes within Corrections aimed at improving the way we work to reduce re-offending. Sadly, it appears Māori still statistically contribute to a disproportionately high percentage of the prison population.
I believe a good ahua and passion for working with our people is all you need when working with Māori offenders. As a Probation Officer, I ensure Māori are welcomed and treated in a respectful and culturally-appropriate way.I begin with a simple greeting, such as a hongi and a handshake.
Through this practice, barriers are lowered to allow relationships and rapport to grow. Once identity links are established I am able to explore an offender’s status within their own whānau by asking simple questions about whānaungatanga.
From there I move on to the business of what they are here for in regard to their sentence obligations to ensure they have a full understanding of what’s at stake.
I believe if we use tīkanga consistently in our workplace, Māori are inclined to respond more positively to making changes in their lives. I encourage positive role modelling for Māori from my peers and demonstrate this in my work on a daily basis.
Working with Māori offenders includes working with their whānau and if we are able to break the cycle of offending for the next generation this way then I think we are doing an effective job for Māori.
So the reality is tīkanga Māori plays an important part in my work; it is my upbringing, my passion, and my duty as a Māori to share it with Māori offenders as a people.
I’m enjoying living in Northland and wish to acknowledge and pay special tribute to all the wonderful people that I have met through working at NRCF and to my newlymade friends and colleagues. I thank you all.
He aha te mea nui, maku ki atu, he tangata, he tangata, he
tangata.
Hei kona,
Trevor Baker
Probation Officer Trevor Baker has a passion for working with Māori offenders.