By Patrick Gower
Pita Sharples has a plan to improve the rehabilitation of Maori offenders in the justice system: fly the Maori flag at every prison.
But 3 News has obtained documents that show another of his ideas, Maori special units, isn't working properly.
Pita Sharples wants the Maori flag to fly permanently at New Zealand's prisons.
“What a good idea,” says Sharples. “I think we she have it on top of every shop in town.”
At present only the New Zealand flag flies over prisons where more than half the inmates are Maori, and Sharples says seeing the flag would help their morale.
"It’s just an opportunity for people to rally under their flag if they want to,” says Sharples.
But no sooner than Sharples flew the idea, opponents were lining up to say it's a definite minus.
“If we want to be a country that performs for Maori as well as everybody else, then we've got to be a united country. This does not help,” says NZ First leader Winston Peters.
“If I was Pita Sharples, I'd be looking at reducing re-offending, rather than silly acts of symbolism than this,” says ACT MP David Garrett.
One way of doing that is Maori Focus Units, where prisoners learn tikanga and connect with their Maori side.
But internal documents obtained by 3 News show they are failing, with:
- Gang membership accepted by prisoners and staff
- They aren't "therapeutic" enough
- Can't get suitable prisoners
- So are filled with those who don't want to be there.
“They are pulling people out of mainstream, into there, regardless of whether they want to be there. Because the prison is full,” says Sharples.
And it's the issue of prisoner numbers that's causing Sharples and Corrections Minister Judith Collins such a headache. They both want to drive down the number of Maori in jail.
But the idea that flying the Maori flag on prisons may somehow help, probably won't fly.
3 News