Introduction
The way the Department works with offenders should be culturally responsive to each offender.
What is culture?
Every culture:
- has its own internal logic, coherence and integrity
- has an intertwined system of values, attitudes, beliefs and norms that give meaning and significance both to the individual and group identity
- is equally valid as a variation of human experience, and
- provides the individual with some:
- sense of identity
- regulation of behaviour, and
- sense of personal belonging.
All persons are to some extent bound by culture.
The Treaty of Waitangi - a reminder
The articles of the Treaty of Waitangi place duties on the Crown and its agencies in relation to Māori. The Department of Correction’sresponsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi are underscored by the over-representation of Māori in the criminal justice system.
Based upon these duties, and the focus on reducing re?offending by Māori, the Department has developed the following Treaty of Waitangi Policy Statement:
The Department of Corrections aims to be a role model for other Government Agencies by encouraging Māori participation and ensuring that it conducts its business in accordance with the Treaty of Waitangi by:
- forming partnerships with Māori
- recognising and providing for Māori interests
- being responsive to Māori needs, and
- ensuring equality of opportunity for Māori.
Programmes for Māori
When considering programmes for Māori, it is important to avoid the mistaken assumption that all Māori have the same needs individually and culturally. Māori are not one group with the same needs.
Other ethnic groups
When working with offenders from Pacific Island cultures and other ethnic groups:
- recognise and give appropriate priority to their interests, and
- be responsive to their needs and concerns by establishing interactive and collaborative relationships with them.
In some cases this may involve establishing relationships with key resource people from within the offender's community.
Cultural identification
It is important to establish:
- the culture with which an offender identifies, and
- the extent to which an offender is familiar with or alienated from their culture.
The main reasons for establishing this information are to:
- ensure assessments are conducted in a culturally appropriate manner
- reduce the risk of further alienating an offender, and
- ensure the Sentence Planning Indicator accurately identifies the need for interventions that match the offender's level of cultural awareness, understanding, and functioning.
Factors to be aware of
Cultural awareness should aim for clear outcomes. Be aware of, and sensitive to, the following areas.
- Meeting, greeting, and developing rapport with offenders.
- How to ask offenders about their ethnicity and cultural identity.
- How to give cultural advice that will assist in working with offenders.
- An awareness by each Probation Officer of their own skill levels in working with offenders across cultures.
- Each Probation Officer being clear about their own cross-cultural abilities and limits of knowledge.
- Knowing when to refer offenders for specialist cultural assessments.
- Knowing when to approach cultural advisors for advice.
- Identifying and establishing close two-way relationships with key resource people in the local community who are:
- Māori
- Pacific Island people, or
- from other ethnic groups.
Note: These key resource people must be:
- informed about Departmental processes, and
- able to undertake cultural assessments and give cultural advice.
Desired outcomes
After training, Probation Officers will be able to:
- take into account cultural factors that will enhance the validity of an assessment, and
- undertake ongoing training in matters of cultural awareness.
References
The following references are about cultural awareness:
- Durie, M.H. Whaiora (Oxford University Press, Auckland, NZ, 1994)
- Maynard, K. Final Draft: Department of Corrections Treaty of Waitangi Policy Statement (Unpublished Paper, 1998)
- McFarlane-Nathan, G.H. Fremo
Note: These references can be accessed through Information Services which are contactable through the intranet.
