Dave Letele shares an experience he had with a prospective employee's probation officer that he says made his blood boil.
Video / Dave Letele
Community worker Dave Letele Jr has met with an official from Corrections after he went public with claims he was spoken to a "like a dog" by a probation officer while trying to arrange work opportunities for a man on home detention.
Letele, who was a Dancing with the Stars finalist and Kiwibank Hero of the Year, said it was his first encounter with a probation officer in terms of trying to arrange a job and said he was shocked by her response.
He went public with his frustration on social media, sharing his experience with his thousands of followers.
"So a Manukau probation officer rings me and talks to me like I'm a dog.
"Imagine how she talks to the people she works with. How can they expect their clients to change if they talk to them like they are a pack of animals?
"Just another case of keeping our people where they are. At the bottom. She's now refused him to work even though it was in his conditions that he was allowed to … And so the cycle continues."
Letele told the Herald the man had previously worked for him as a cleaner while awaiting sentencing and he now wanted to bring him in to work in his foodbank.
He said he had known the man for some time as he was a Mongrel Mob member, the same gang that Letele's father, David Letele Snr, once held a prominent position in.
He compared the man's tough upbringing to Once Were Warriors and told the Herald that he grew up not even knowing his own age.
"He comes from absolute nothing and he's doing his best to change," Letele said.
"It would be a miracle if he broke the cycle - and he's trying."
Letele told the Herald he had never spoken to the probation officer before she called him to ask what hours the man would be working.
After telling her that he had spoken with the man's lawyer, Letele claims she responded: "You don't need to tell his lawyer, you need to tell me."
Letele alleges the response was rude and says he pushed her on how he was supposed to communicate with her when this was the first time they had spoken.
Dave Letele says his experience shows that more needs to change to help break the cycle of offending. Photo / Dean Purcell
Letele claimed the officer called her client immediately after their conversation and revoked the dispensation that allowed him to work while serving a sentence of home detention for burglary, a claim that Corrections have denied.
"So here's a guy with four kids. This is the third and final chance for this guy. So what do you think is going to happen? What do you think he's going to do to get money?
"If you've got hungry kids, you've got no support, you've got no other ways of making money but the only way you know how to make money is to steal or to sell. What are your options?"
In a statement released to the Herald, the Manukau District manager Maryann Moki denied that the man's ability to work has been revoked. Moki then met with Letele today to get the information Corrections needs to approve his employment.
"The person was recently sentenced by the court to home detention after being on electronically monitored bail in the community. Following his sentencing he indicated he has ongoing employment," Moki said.
"His home detention sentence requires him to comply with a range of conditions, including that a probation officer must approve any employment before it can commence. These special conditions were imposed by the judge in court. Because of this, we need to assess and approve his employment. We appreciate that these processes may feel onerous, but they ensure that we uphold the integrity of sentences and orders and keep everyone safe."
Letele said he was planning on making a formal complaint about his experience, which Moki said she welcomed, adding that Corrections "take all allegations seriously".
Letele said changes needed to be made so that families were better supported, telling the Herald that it was "families who are really doing the sentence".
Letele said he was working with three other people who were currently in the Corrections system and said that people in their situation who had decided to make a change were among the hardest workers an employer could find.
"They understand that you've given them a chance - they'll do anything for you.
"Everyone deserves a second chance and if we really want to make society better we have to reintegrate these guys into society."
In her statement, Moki said that Corrections wanted to support that reintegration.
"Supporting community-based offenders into meaningful employment is an important part of the work we do across the country. We continue to appreciate the dedication and hard work of employers who take on people who have been released from prison or who are on community-based sentences. They provide valuable opportunities for people to learn new skills and earn a living to support themselves and their loved ones."
Following his meeting with Moki, Letele said it was "productive" and commended Corrections for initiating the exchange.
"Our people that are trying to integrate back into society already face a challenging path, along with families that support them that also feel the mamāe of their actions.
"I had to raise this for all the people with no voice . It's better for society if people are rehabilitated and become productive members of the community."
