The New Zealand prison system is not working, and building bigger prisons with more beds is even worse.
Forming boot camps throughout the country will be to the detriment of society in the future. They may make the prisons even worse.
In the Tairāwhiti area, programmes being delivered at the moment are having success. For example, sitting in a vehicle with a kuia lately, she suddenly opened her window and yelled, “Don’t forget to come back in the morning, we have scones on the menu.”
The dialogue between this kuia and these three young men continued positively. From this I found out that a programme running for 16- to 18-year-old men is quite successful in realigning these men into better futures. They are learning the basics of life, going into work dressed tidily, and are realising there is a world out there that is totally different to what they are used to. The nannies who are part of this programme have found something worthwhile to do.
So why aren’t we looking at more of this, rather than the hardened boot camps that have been tried and failed many years ago?
Way back in the 1980s, a programme like this was run in Napier. Having caused damage in the past, these young men do grow up to respect other people. Many of these young men from early programmes are leaders in their communities today.
In the 1960s in Taumarunui, there was a police-run boys’ gymnastics club for kids who were roaming the streets. It was very successful.
I ask why are we going down the road of boot camps, because young men have told me that when they get together, they are more hardened.
We could provide more support for initiatives like Spirit of Adventure, Outwood Bound and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards — all of which I know have been successful for young people at risk. These programmes not only help the people themselves, but they also help the community to realise they can be a part of bringing young people up in a better society.
Communities can look at sponsorships for the above, and building relationships with the participants and the sponsors.
Pauline E. Tangiora
