Rethinking Urges Support for Mongrel Mob Rehabilitation

“The Kakahi community has nothing to fear from the Notorious Chapter of the Mongrel Mob,” says Kim Workman, Director of Rethinking Crime and Punishment.  He was commenting on local concern that six families from the Mob were attending a Salvation Army rehabilitation programme at the Ruapehu Christian Camp.    

“We join with the Police in calling for community support.  Members of the  Notorious Chapter have been guests at the at Prison Fellowship’s annual conferences for the last three years, and their behaviour and contribution was outstanding.  Out of the 30 odd members that attended, only two had seen the inside of a prison in the previous twelve years.”

“Leaders in the Notorious Chapter have been  seeking ways in which they can support their own whanau in moving from a life of crime and addiction, and make a contribution to society.  I am aware that they approached the Salvation Army and asked them to provide a rehabilitation programme in which all the whanau could participate, to ensure that whanau support was available after the programme ended.   A  whanau approach to rehabilitation is much more likely to succeed than providing individual treatment.  If a offender goes back to a whanau which either doesn’t support them or doesn’t know how to support them, or is in itself dysfunctional, then the chances of success are lowered.”  

“Telling someone to stop being a criminal may work for a period of time, but the person needs a replacement identity.  Not only must the new identity be chosen by the person in the process of change, it must be supported by that person’s whanau.”    

“The Salvation Army has provided an environment and conditions in which  that change is most likely to occur.  This whanau approach, to rehabilitation, has a far greater chance of success, than the current focus on individualised treatment.”

“This is about gang members taking responsibility for their own transformation.  They deserve all they support the community can offer.”
ends

© Scoop Media