In the Māori world, individuals comprise of four interrelated domains: te taha tinana (body), te taha hinengaro (mind), te taha wairua (spirit) and te taha whānau (family)3.
When these four domains are in balance, we have Māori wellness and wellbeing. For Māori offenders, understanding these domains will lead to a better understanding about how their attitudes and behaviours positively or negatively affect their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.
Progress to date
With support from Māori partners such as hapū, iwi, Māori service providers and community groups, the Department has designed, developed and implemented a wide range of programmes and services from a Māori world view. These programmes and services reconnect Māori offenders to Māori culture as a lever to promote and motivate positive changes.
There are varying degrees of Māori cultural content in most rehabilitation programmes and services offered by the Department. For example:
Evidence emerging from effectiveness evaluations shows that the Te Ao Māori approach strengthens the cultural identity of Māori offenders, improves their attitudes and behaviours and motivates them to participate in rehabilitation.
Evidence from these evaluations have also highlighted areas requiring further attention. For example low referral rates and unclear links into sentence plans.
New prisons have been designed and built, and are being managed according to a new operating philosophy. Incorporating a tikanga Māori based approach through the participation of ‘kaitiaki’ across these new prisons is a key component to this philosophy. Partnerships with kaitiaki also support the reintegration of Māori prisoners into the community.
Looking forward
Re-offending rates of Māori offenders remain a critical target that we are determined to reduce.
We have the responsibility to enforce sentences and orders. The positive purpose of our work is to motivate Māori offenders to turn their lives around in order to contribute successfully to the Māori world – Te Ao Māori, and the global world – Te Ao Hurihuri.
Staff who work with Māori offenders will encourage and motivate them to reconnect with their cultural identity and to participate in rehabilitation through assessments, programmes and services developed from a Māori world view.
We will ensure that Māori designed, developed and implemented programmes and services are as effective as possible in motivating and rehabilitating Māori offenders.
“I do recall a Māori sex offender who wouldn’t participate in any of my assessments, but he did agree to do an SMCA. As a result he came out and wanted to go to Te Piriti. It motivated him and definitely had an impact because he is there now dealing with his issues.” - Sentence Planner
3: Professor Mason Durie - Whare Tapa Wha model of wellbeing.