New research by Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand (AIANZ) and JustSpeak is being released tomorrow on Friday 14th, sharing the stories of rangatahi with lived experience of the justice system.

A summary of the report ‘If I was Prime Minister: Insights and experiences of rangatahi in the Aotearoa New Zealand justice system’ highlights key issues from conversations with rangatahi, and the people supporting them, and identifies necessary responses to transform justice approaches for lasting change. These conversations revealed how systems fail rangatahi, often sending them down a path that not only doesn’t support them, but can also trap them in a lifelong cycle.

"So much of what we heard relates to questions of power, decisions made that have profound life-long impacts on rangatahi, their whānau and us all," says Lisa Woods, Movement Building & Advocacy Director for AIANZ.

"What we heard from rangatahi was the need to invest in prevention. Youth offending doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Many concerns as well as opportunities were raised; from poverty, hunger, homelessness, family-life hardship, and disengagement from school to peers and the importance of relationships."

The research was initiated after the last election campaign, where political rhetoric and media reports on ram raids often failed to include experiences and insights from the young people involved.

"Too often conversations about rangatahi in the justice system are led by politicians and media, who do not necessarily reflect the experiences of young people," says Kelsey Lee, Senior Campaigner for JustSpeak.

"By centering the voices of rangatahi and others who work with them, we hope to inform the national conversation and strengthen policy responses currently occurring in the youth justice space. Rangatahi insights are critical to understanding what effective long-term change looks like."

Three critical areas have emerged from the research, which JustSpeak and Amnesty agree require urgent investment; overcoming hardship and traumatic life experiences, addressing problems accessing education, and the importance of positive relationships and consistent interpersonal support.

A summary of findings is available here (https://amnesty.org.nz/rangatahi-justice-system-summary/), with the full report available in due course.

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