2 September
The new name for the Violence Prevention Unit (VPU) at Rimutaka Prison is a more accurate reflection of what the unit actually does.
The unit, which is an intensive prison-based rehabilitation programme for violent offenders, will be gifted the name Te Whare Manaakitanga at a dawn ceremony on 3 September.
VPU Principal Psychologist Kirsty Williams says that while the unit provides an intensive treatment programme for violent offenders, the name Violence Prevention Unit never completely reflected the unit’s work.
“While changing violent behaviour will remain an important part of what we do, it’s more about giving offenders awareness of the factors that underlie all of their offending behaviour, because what drives their violence often drives their other offending as well. The process of putting all this into practice takes time, and many of the men will need to make multiple attempts at leading a pro-social lifestyle.
“If we stop an offender being violent that’s a very good thing, but if they retain other criminal behaviour such as theft or drug taking then we’ve only really gone half way – we have to address the full range of their offending.
“The new name Te Whare Manaakitanga embraces the wellbeing of men and other visitors as they enter the unit – that is to provide rehabilitation, and that is a better reflection of what we are trying to achieve.”
Kirsty says the therapy provided in the unit contributes to making society a safer place to live in by helping the programme participants to understand the consequences of their behaviour on others and to learn to change the way they live their lives.
“Changing violent behaviour is difficult, but we’re having good results, especially when you consider that we treat people who many countries consider to be untreatable psychopaths.
“This is the hardest type of work to do. Most of the men we look after score so highly on psychopathy measurements that we no longer find it useful to use, but despite that we achieve success. We’ve proven that there still is hope for these men.”
For further information contact the Communications Services Desk:
Phone: (04) 460 3365
Email: commdesk@corrections.govt.nz