March 06, 2024
Under fire Oranga Tamariki to oversee “beneficial” boot camps
Minister for Children Karen Chhour says the first military-style boot camp for young offenders will be held by the middle of the year.
She says it will be overseen by Oranga Tamariki – despite a report last month slamming the child protection ministry’s practices and processes.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier said his review of 2000 complaints received over the past four years showed the need for profound changes to the way the it operates.
Ms Chhour says it will work alongside community groups to implement a pilot scheme.
“We are working now in the background with lots of different agencies, community groups to work out where they can bring in their expertise into this programme to make sure it is beneficial for the young people. We don’t want to be introducing something that isn’t beneficial for the young people,” she says.
IHC New Zealand says the Government’s introduction of juvenile boot camps for youth offenders will unfairly target young people with intellectual disability and Māori.
Advocacy director Tania Thomas says intellectually disabled people are 1.5 times more likely to have a criminal conviction and 3.2 times more likely to be incarcerated.
She says it’s better to work with families and whānau to support the wellbeing of youth offenders.