June 21, 2018
Burglary prevention starts in big whare
The first eight Ngawha prison inmates on an innovative whare burglary prevention programme are set to graduate tomorrow.
Community corrections facilitator Ratema Tamati says the pilot was an attempt to address a high risk of reoffending by young inmates involving burglaries, car theft and fraud.
It's unique in that it considered the whole record of the inmates rather than just the crimes they are currently serving time for.
It used the Whare Tapawhā model of physical, spiritual, family and mental health, and involved mentoring by a rehabilitation worker who had previously worked as a Whānau Ora navigator.
"The programme works on the needs identified that drive their offending behaviour. The reintegration worker looks at the needs that allow them to reintegrate back into the community and the approach is really Whānau Ora approach," Mr Tamati says.
Ideally the programme would be delivered by an iwi ora provider within the Whānau Ora collective, but that could not be done in Taitokerau.
Copyright © 2018, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com