Children’s Minister Karen Chhour says an announcement on Tuesday fulfils the first 100 days commitment to crack down on serious youth offending.
“We’re committed to creating more tools to respond to the most serious and persistent young offenders. This includes the establishment of military-style academies and the creation of a new Young Serious Offender designation,” she said in a statement.
The government will begin with a pilot boot camp that has both a military-style component as well as “a rehabilitative and trauma-informed care approach” to reduce risks of reoffending.
Oranga Tamariki will run the programme alongside other agencies and providers that have the appropriate skills.
Children's Minister Karen Chhour says while the camps will be tough, they'll also help young people turn their lives around. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Chhour said it was important young people realised their bad behaviour had consequences, however, they would also be given the chance to be part of “a disciplined and structured environment” so they could turn their lives around.
“I’m confident this programme will deliver the real change needed for many youth offenders.”
She said her ministerial colleagues Paul Goldsmith, Judith Collins and Mark Mitchell would also be a part of the initiative to sort out how the scheme would proceed.
Chhour is also working on legislative changes that will allow stronger consequences for young people committing crimes.
In an interview with RNZ in 2022, the late National Party minister Chester Borrows said the solutions to youth crime were better social supports, which the country must be prepared to pay for.
Minister for the courts in John Key’s National government, Borrows spent 45 years in the sector, including as a police officer, lawyer, and member of the parole board.
He said the boot camps trialled under the Key government had some positive effect, but it usually didn’t last long.
