Prison Fellowship Urges New Approach to Prisoner Reintegration

The National Director of Prison Fellowship New Zealand, Kim Workman considers that the issue of prisoner reintegration is more urgent than most people realise, and that a new and inclusive approach is called for.

Speaking at the opening of the Fellowship’s National Conference, “When the Prisoner Comes Home”, he said that only about 50% of all released prisoners will benefit from the Department’s reintegration services. “The remaining 4,500 will get their $350 and return from whence they came. We know that the first 3 – 6 months is the crucial period for released prisoners. If there is to be an effort to integrate prisoners back into a law abiding community, then it needs to occur at that time. It won’t occur without significant social support – those determined to change won’t do so if they face stigmatization, red tape, and plain old fashioned bigotry.”

“There are 7,911 prisoners currently in the system, 301 more than this time last year. It is estimated that there will be a further 1000 prisoners in the system by 2011. Around 9000 prisoners will be released from prison over the next 12 months. Of those released, around 27% will be back in prison within a year; that figure will rise to 39% within two years. In our view, unless there is a comprehensive reintegration strategy in place to address this issue very soon, it will seriously impact on the re-offending and crime rate within the next three years.

There is a point at which formal social control by government agencies should cease, and informal social control and support from the community start. We need to identify where that point is. There has always been a role in prisoner reintegration for service providers and social service agencies to provide support services. This Conference is about identifying and activating other sectors within civil society, who will commit to a more wide ranging strategy. Our marae, league clubs, kapahaka groups, health services, churches and schools all have a part to play. Existing community organisations must be encouraged to align their services to meet the needs of prisoners and their families.

We need to engage with the philanthropic sector. The traditional belief has been that philanthropy will not support or fund anything to do with prisoners or their families. We believe that can change.

We must convince the business sector that we need both human and social capital to change the face of the nation In the past, the business sector has had to be railroaded into employing ex-prisoners – we need to shift that mindset so that businesses who employ prisoners are acknowledged and honoured by the community as being socially responsible.

How can we make all this happen? By talking with one another. Victims, prisoners, families, public servants, volunteers, employers, funders, judiciary, politicians – yes, and gang members – sharing bread and (non-alcoholic) wine. The view of prisoners and former prisoners needs to be heard. Their point of view is essential to this. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi “ You can’t shake hands with an upraised fist”.

The solution lies in our own capacity to put emotions and anger on hold – to turn ourselves from becoming a nation of carpet biters, to a society prepared to share our pain, trauma and personal paradigm – and move beyond that point to engaging one another in possibilities, the production of small miracles, and performing the occasional big one.

ENDS

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