Teens in the Government's boot camp pilot are now entering the in-community phase. Photo / Alan Gibson
Teens in the Government's boot camp pilot are now entering the in-community phase. Photo / Alan Gibson
Oranga Tamariki’s top officials are accepting the possibility that teen offenders taking part in the Government’s military-style academy pilot could reoffend as they begin a nine-month stint living outside a youth justice residence.
The agency’s youth justice service national director, Iain Chapman, acknowledges three months insidePalmerston North’s youth justice facility won’t be enough to change behaviours learned through a long history of offending.
“We must accept that mistakes may get made along the way and we are completely eyes wide open to that,” Chapman tells the Herald.
“But it’s what we do as an organisation and as a country when things do, if they do go wrong, what are we going to do about it.”
His comments come as the 10 young offenders, aged 16-17, conclude the pilot’s three-month phase at Te Au rere a te Tonga, one of Oranga Tamariki’s youth justice residences as a part of the Government’s pilot of military-style academies, also known as boot camps.
While pilot organisers are cautious to declare success with the nine-month in-community phase beginning this week, they say the first stint has exceeded expectations and led to a noticeable behavioural shift in the young men who are considered some of the most serious youth offenders in the country.
Act leader David Seymour and Minister for Children Karen Chhour look at the type of footwear youth at the new military academy pilot would receive. Photo / RNZ
The pilot, fulfilling National’s 2023 pre-election promise, was intended to inform similar programmes following the introduction of a new Young Serious Offender category, expected about March next year, that judges could use to send recidivist teens to a boot camp.
On Sunday, the 12-month pilot concluded its initial three-month in-residence phase. The majority of the 10 teens would carry out the remaining nine months living with immediate or extended whānau, while a minority would reside with social service providers.
Holding the pilot at a youth justice facility had been condemned by youth advocates, but according to boot camp commander Andrew Sissions, he had witnessed a “big shift” in the teens’ behaviour.
“The first week or so, it [was] quite hard to really have open, honest dialogue with them, and that’s a completely different picture,” he said.
“Now, they’re really happy to sit down and talk through issues.
“I was always perhaps thinking how much is too much and how hard do we work with and perhaps challenge the young men and I think they’ve actually thrived on it.”
He cited conversations with the teens, in which they’d spoken of being resigned to starting their adult life in prison but the pilot had changed their perspective.
“They see a future outside of that environment now, which is almost word-for-word what the young fella said to me.”
Youths in a South Auckland facility made headlines this week after spending hours on the roof and caused damage to the building. The Government condemned their actions and promised consequences, while also noting it had been the first rooftop incident at a youth justice residence as opposed to the 15 recorded last year.
A group of 13 youth at a youth justice facility in South Auckland took to the roof for hours this week. Photo / Carson Bluck
Oranga Tamariki had regularly reported how no incidents of concern had happened throughout the pilot, something that had exceeded Sissons’ expectations given the boys’ backgrounds.
He acknowledged there had been some disagreements in which boys needed separating but they were “back together and no problems” within the day, Sissons said.
He believed the pilot was a “really good framework” for future programmes and was confident it would have a measurable impact on reoffending.
“From the changes I’ve seen ... [there] is certainly going to be either a reduction in offending or a reduction in type of offending in my view, but we’ll have to wait and see ... it’s a long journey.”
Chapman said addressing reoffending would depend on the circumstances but he admitted the agency’s approach in the past hadn’t been appropriate.
“What we would like to do is make sure that we don’t react [similar to] what we have done in the past, which is if something goes wrong, we put them in a residence and hope for the best.”
Looking to the next nine months, Chapman accepted the “hard work is just beginning” as the teens transitioned to community life.
“The real work now is a focus on them and supporting them into a transition to getting their lives back on track.”
Most would go back to live with whānau, while the remainder would be housed with social service organisations. Oranga Tamariki wouldn’t confirm how many would return to family, citing privacy. Chapman confirmed all boys would be in the North Island.
The return to whānau had been a primary concern of Children’s Minister Karen Chhour, who had criticised Oranga Tamariki in the past for failing to ensure children returned to environments that encouraged rehabilitation.
Children's Minister Karen Chhour says Oranga Tamariki needs to be careful in how it responds to reoffending. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Oranga Tamariki’s boot camp business lead Janet Mays said there had been “strong” whānau engagement throughout the first three months, including almost daily calls between the boys and their families.
Mays said she was confident all pilot participants were being placed in safe environments and would be supported by their own personal mentors as well as other social and clinical staff.
Chhour, speaking to the Herald, said it was “non-negotiable” that all participants were returning to safe environments, but believed people needed to be “realistic” about the potential for reoffending.
“Their future is in their hands now,” she said of the teens.
“We can offer them every opportunity, but the choices and the decisions they make are theirs now.”
She echoed Chapman by urging caution when reacting to any re-offending.
“I wouldn’t expect a harsh reaction if the level of offending is quite a low level [of] offending, but if it’s a serious offence, I would expect them to be treated exactly the same as any other young person in society.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
