Rehab centre under scrutiny

By JAN CORBETT

Police are investigating a West Auckland drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre after reports that criminals have been absconding from it.

The Herald has details of three cases in which defendants bailed into the care of Henderson-based Serenity House Trust either never arrived or left without police being informed.

Two were drug-dealers who reoffended while they were supposed to be living in one of the trust's three houses. The other was a sex offender on bail for indecently assaulting the girl next door. Police said it was only good luck that she had moved from the neighbourhood.

Auckland judges have been told not to refer defendants to Serenity House until a report has been completed.

Serenity spokesman Alf Jones said it was the trust's policy to tell Henderson police when a remand prisoner absconded, and he blamed police for not following up the reports. But he could not find any records on these three cases.

The trust has also been telling courts and the Parole Board that its 26-week rehabilitation programme is run by Waitemata Health's Community Alcohol and Drug Services (Cads).

But regional manager Cathie Menzies said Cads has nothing to do with Serenity House "and never will have a relationship with them." She refused to comment further.

The trust was set up five years ago by a group that included former prisoner and Mongrel Mob member Willie Matoe. Management is now in the hands of another former inmate, Jim Morris.

He said remand prisoners left Serenity premises regularly.

"This is not a prison. Probably a lot of people shouldn't have been bailed here to begin with.

"When the judge bails them, you should question the judge."

Chief District Court Judge Ron Young said judges were not equipped to know if the agencies they remanded defendants to had the necessary credentials. They relied on recommendations from the Probation Service or drug and alcohol authorities.

Defence lawyers urge their clients to attend these rehabilitation programmes so they can subsequently argue for a reduced sentence. It also helps them to avoid the medieval remand conditions at Mt Eden Prison.

The Serenity House Trust, whose houses in Massey and Te Atatu are recognised as being less formal than centres such as Odyssey House, can take up to 32 people. It derives its income from residents' sickness benefits. It does not have any contract with the Department of Corrections or the Health Funding Authority. However, the Department for Courts pays it between $75 and $140 a time to prepare pre-sentencing reports.

Its headquarters are in premises donated by the Waitakere City Council.

Corrections spokesman Wayne Spence said last July that the department had been close to signing a contract with Serenity for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme, "but key personnel left and they were unable to deliver, so the contract was cancelled."

Serenity says the "key personnel" was a con-artist who duped both the trust and department into believing he had qualifications in psychotherapy.

While police are deeply cynical of remand to these types of programmes, it is their responsibility to ensure that prisoners honour the terms of their bail.

Mr Morris said he would welcome regular police checks.

But Police Association spokesman Greg O'Connor said there were practical difficulties: "They will just tell you they're out for the day."

It was also a staffing issue.

"You can't expect a sergeant on night shift struggling to find staff, to do another task without having the resources to do it."