Since the early 1980s, dozens of offenders on community-based sentences in South Auckland have received a helping hand from an urban-based marae and have gone on to re-establish their lives.
Based in Mangere, Auckland, Nga Whare Waatea Marae is the heart of the Manukau Urban Maori Authority (MUMA), which voluntarily houses and supports newly-released prisoners and court referrals.
MUMA Operations Manager Mike Hinton says there is no ‘typical’ offender the marae takes on - the range is diverse. “We take on young boys who are recommended to us by the courts and we also take on lifers out on parole who have been in the prison system for some 20 years.
“It’s a matter of picking the right people who fit in with us here at the marae.”
Many offenders don’t have the whanau support or the skills to re-integrate into society, so Nga Whare Waatea provides them with accommodation and helps them to re-establish their lives in a positive way.
“We don’t want them to go back to how they used to be. They come to us and we encourage them to adopt the norms they learn living at the marae,” says MUMA Chief Executive Officer June Jackson, who has been involved since the marae began working with CPS more than 20 years ago.
The offenders are given the opportunity to participate in all aspects of marae life, as well as learning skills through restorative justice programmes organised by MUMA.
Over the years, there have been many successes that June and Mike are proud of.
“We had an 18-year-old boy who was up to serious mischief and was placed with us three years ago. He has since left us and has two jobs, a house, a car and a wife,” says June.
She says most offenders do not go back to a life of crime and it is successes like these that make the marae’s efforts worthwhile.
People from all ethnic backgrounds are accepted into the marae. The only thing June asks is respect for the rules and the people at the marae - and the offenders will receive respect back.
Many of the offenders who have been involved with Nga Whare Waatea marae keep in contact, and often come back to visit.