Turia Accuses Corrections of being Captured by Psychologists

Tariana Turia; Co-leader, Maori Party

16 February 2006

“Serious questions must be asked about the funds being wasted by the Department of Corrections” stated Tariana Turia, Co-leader of the Maori Party.

“A peculiar feature of our prison system is the dominance of psychologists in treatment programmes” said Mrs Turia.

“The problem is, that they think life-long issues can be solved by clinical psychologists who diagnose inmates with having “criminogenic needs” and then having identified their “defective thinking” draw up a “Criminogenic Needs Inventory”.

“Having got the paperwork in place, they prescribe a diet of mind-altering programmes such as ‘straight-thinking’; supplemented by a dose of “Maori Culturally Related Needs” if they happen to be tangata whenua” said Mrs Turia.

“All of these acronyms and treatments amount to nothing, when the inmates come out to the real world”.

“The Maori Party has always been concerned about how to support inmates back into their whanau and their communities, in the best possible way” said Mrs Turia.

“We need to be working with the whanau of inmates, to work out ways to support them in their return to the community”.

“New Zealand needs to invest a bit of creative courage into the rehabilitation of offenders, investigating responses which include reparation and healing” concluded Mrs Turia”.

ENDS

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