Blocking the pathway to jail
Lisa Mead’s son is at a much higher risk of ending up behind bars than the average Kiwi kid but she is determined he won’t become another statistic.
His father has been in and out of prison and he has grown up with a young solo mother, both proven factors in boosting his risk of breaking the law. Plus, they live in ‘‘the hood’’. It is a reality Mead doesn’t shy away from.
She is working to help at-risk children break the cycle of intergenerational offending through youth development programmes in Christchurch.
Mead bluffed her way into a job at a small accountancy firm when she was in her 20s, attending night classes to catch up. She fell pregnant and her son’s father was sent to jail.
It was the start of his ongoing relationship with the judicial system. More than 23,000 children have a parent in jail and, without the right support, they are more than nine times more likely to follow in their footsteps.
The most recent figures, released in March, show that Christchurch houses 13 per cent of the country’s prison population. More than 920 prisoners live at Christchurch Men’s Prison, 260 at Rolleston Prison, and 134 at Christchurch Women’s Prison.
Finances were tight and Mead returned to work as a chartered accountant eight weeks after her son was born.
A decade later, she decided to ‘‘risk it all’’ on an idea inspired by her 9-year-old son, Dakota.
Mead was adamant he would not become another statistic, so formed Social Currency Investments, an accountancy firm, to try to sustainably support at-risk children.
Children are considered at high risk of ending up in jail if they have a parent in jail, single parents, poor health and education, unemployment, or are a perpetrator or victim of crime.
An Auckland University study found risk factors tended to cluster together; the most common being a child of a young, single mother without formal educational qualifications, who was likely to continue smoking in pregnancy and to receive a benefit.
Mead quit her job in August and has committed to investing 10 per cent of her accountancy firm’s revenue back into social programmes, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Zealand, and supporting children through a mentoring network.
By providing financial support, she hopes to generate a different kind of profit – lasting social impact for ‘‘high risk’’ children aged 5 to 15.
Getting children on the ‘‘same playing field’’ was crucial, and something that could be reached by investing in their self-esteem and self-worth, fostering a healthy mindset and providing positive role models, Mead said.
Despite a strained relationship with his father, Dakota has maintained a strong relationship with his paternal grandparents and extended family and was one of the company’s biggest supporters, she said.
‘‘[He thinks] it’s inspiring.’’
More than 23,000 children have a parent in jail and, without the right support, they are more than nine times more likely to follow in their footsteps.