Culture needs changing, say Maori

A retired probation officer has harshly criticised the Department of Corrections for failing to reduce reoffending rates among Maori prisoners.

Tom Hemopo, 71, told the Waitangi Tribunal he had loved his job but Corrections needed a ‘‘drastic change of culture’’.

An urgent hearing kicked off in Wellington yesterday, to investigate Hemopo’s claim that the Crown had breached Treaty obligations by allegedly failing to reduce Maori reoffending rates.

Maori make up about 50 per cent of the prisoner population (51 per cent for men and 57 per cent for women).

Hemopo claimed the ‘‘one size fits all’’ approach taken by Corrections does not work for Maori prisoners, who have the highest probability (64 per cent) of being reconvicted within two years of release in comparison to other ethnic groups.

Hemopo had been a probation officer for almost 30 years, during which time he claimed he had seen a decline in services and funding helping Maori reintegrate into their communities, he told the Tribunal.

His work had involved travelling to communities and facilitating hui (meetings) on marae with families of victims.

This shaming (whakama) of the convicted would help them to seek forgiveness and feel remorse, so they could be ‘‘built back up’’ and change their lives, he said. ’’Learn from the mistakes of your history and move on with your lives,’’ was his advice to many offenders.

However, he claimed Corrections refocused these Maori management roles such as his until they were eventually phased out. The roles were an ‘‘aberration from a department that does not value Maori culture’’.

Current programmes aimed at Maori rehabilitation were just ‘‘window-dressing’’, Hemopo said. The Crown said there were ‘‘dozens and dozens’’ of programmes which supported Maori reintegration, including initiatives set up in partnership with iwi.

Crown lawyer Aaron Perkins said a ‘‘Maori Services Team’’ had been set up within Corrections in 2012 and reported straight to the chief executive.

However, until reoffending rates were brought down, Hemopo did not think any ‘‘real actions’’ had been taken.

Hemopo retired in 2011.