Photo / Mark CooteThe Government is hoping "a for Māori, by Māori approach" will reduce reoffending and the over-representation of tangata whenua in prison. Māori make up about 15 per cent of the general population but more than 50 per cent of the prison population in New Zealand. The new Māori Pathways initiatives include a kaupapa Māori approach to prisoner rehabilitation called Tēnei Au, which will assist Māori men in high security prisons. Another initiative announced today under Māori Pathways will see a Whānau Ora navigator workforce join forces with iwi. "This is part of extending the Whānau Ora approach into other agencies and working alongside the individual and their whānau to improve outcomes for Māori," Henare said.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 22, 2021 21:00 UTC