Plea for insight on Maori crime

By ANGELA GREGORY Maori issues reporter

The Government is not doing enough to find out why so many Maori youth become caught up in crime or help to reverse the increase in their offending, says Te Puni Kokiri chief executive Dr Ngatata Love.

He was disturbed by a 74-page report on Maori youth offending released by his Ministry of Maori Development last week.

The study finds that Maori youth are three times more likely to be apprehended, prosecuted and convicted than non-Maori.

"This report identifies a number of problems with existing Government services which require improvement if they are to be effective for Maori youth and whanau," said Dr Love.

Offending must be prevented by addressing the problems that contributed to it.

Dr Love found it worrying that although Maori made up about half the young people in the youth and adult criminal justice systems, the Government knew little about the impacts of its programmes and services on them.

"We need to know if interventions are leading to positive lifestyle improvements for Maori youth at risk, and young Maori offenders."

Dr Love said the little information available indicated that Maori approaches to addressing offending were very successful and deserved greater Government support.

He said young people raised some issues that might be controversial, such as their desire for places where they could socialise and drink.

"It is important that we listen and try to understand.

"We need services that fit the people, and not the other way around, as has been the case so often in the past," said Dr Love.

The report finds that the rate of Maori youth offending continues to rise and the number of teenage Maori girls sentenced to jail each year doubled during the 1990s, with more convicted for violent crime.

Unsupportive whanau environments, a lack of identity, boredom, a lack of places to socialise and discrimination are identified as contributors to the offending.

The research also supports previous findings that the way the criminal justice system deals with young people may increase offending rates.

At-risk Maori may not be participating in programmes to address their offending or may be deliberately limiting their participating where services are not appropriate to their needs, it says.

"It is our view that there is a lack of appropriate programmes to deal with the range of factors contributing to Maori youth offending."

The report shows there has been little research on specific factors that may account for why young Maori offend compared with non-Maori.

But a study released last year suggested that a lack of cultural pride and knowledge of ancestry were associated with offending.

Many young offenders also came from families where they were exposed to violence, gangs and drug abuse.

The report encourages the Government and Maori to work together to develop a range of programmes and services.

"They need to be involved - on an ongoing basis - in deciding what is needed in their communities.

"At the same time there has to be an ongoing evaluation to ensure the programmes and services work for Maori."

The report finds that existing programmes are short-term, of varying quality, and lack any follow-up.

The Minister of Maori Affairs, Parekura Horomia, said the report was timely.

Recent statistics showed that four new jails would need to be built by 2013 if Maori and Pacific Island people continued to be imprisoned at the present rate.

"Government agencies must adopt a more holistic approach to services such as education and training, employment, health and justice sector services," he said.

"These include mental health services specifically for Maori, counselling services, direct assistance and support for whanau and young people in crisis, and alternative education opportunities for young people outside of schools," said Mr Horomia.

The report would contribute to an integrated strategy, due to be reported to the cabinet next month, focusing on reducing offending by Maori and Pacific youth.