A Northland iwi leader is backing a five-year government plan to help break the intergenerational cycle of Māori reoffending and imprisonment through a raft of measures.
The acting chair of Ngāti Hine, Pita Tipene, said the percentage of Māori in prison or those reoffending was "totally untenable" and that an intervention was required.
Corrections Minister and Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis this week launched Hokai Rangi— a strategy that aims to lower the proportion of Māori in prisons through a series of short and medium-term actions.
Whānau will be supported to work alongside Māori prisoners in Corrections' care on their rehabilitation and reintegration journey.
Tipene said the short, 13-week rehabilitative courses at Ngawha Prison, near Kaikohe, that were making a positive impact on prisoners' lives should be extended for better outcomes.