Mark Mitchell wants to work with Māori to help rehabilitate Māori inmates

Police and Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell’s portfolios impact on a number of Māori - the bad ones.

As Police Minister Mitchell has set up a ‘get tough on gangs’ policy. With the majority of the 9000 patched up gang members having Māori whakapapa, and the majority of crimes committed by Māori, Mitchell’s job with police and corrections are intertwined with Māori.

While he’s all for locking up the bad people, Mitchell is quick to point out that while Corrections will get $1.9 billion, $78 million has been earmarked for rehabilitation programmes for the 45 per cent of prisoners who are on remand, to access the support they need to turn their lives around.

Fifty two percent of the 9508 prison inmates are Māori.

Police and Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell.

“As a government our core belief is social investment,” Mitchell said.

“That’s getting the people’s lives much earlier and stopping them from joining the gangs and going into the criminal justice system and stop the intergenerational lifestyle and gang membership which is so harmful for the kids.

“The $78m investment is prisoners on remand who haven’t had programmes. We are focussed on getting inmates real life skills and qualifications and the best fighting chance to rejoin society.”

Mitchell said this is where Māori and iwi organisation can play a huge part.

Auckland Prison in Paremoremo. Photo / File

“Maori and iwi have a huge and critical part to play,” he said.

“And I welcome as much engagement and leadership with iwi, hapu and Māori as possible because they are stakeholders and we all want people to come out of the justice system positive and not be recycled back through the prisons.

“I know the success stories are few and far between but you can never give up on people and have to keep trying.”