New unit at Waikeria to provide treatment for high risk offenders

MINISTER of Corrections Phil Goff (left) and Department of Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews get a fi rst hand look at work done by the fi rst group of prisoners to trial the Special Treatment Unit rehabilitation programme. 059081AD

By Dean Taylor

The first of three special treatment units to reduce re-offending by prisoners was opened at Waikeria Prison yesterday.

Corrections minister Phil Goff was guest of honour at the function to open the new unit which is part of Karaka. He says the new initiative is part of Government’s plan to reduce re-offending.

Two other units will open at Spring Hill and Christchurch Prisons over the next year to 18 months. Karaka’s unit has been trialled since August last year.

The programme is aimed at high risk and violent offenders who abuse alcohol and drugs and who have a high probability of re-offending. Mr Goff says the reason for the programme is to firstly protect the community from re-offending and to reduce the risk of further people becoming victims, and secondly to stop the cost and wasted lives of inmates for whom prison is simply a revolving door.

"The cognitive based programme is based on international research which shows what works best for these offenders is higher intensity treatment, particularly in a special treatment unit setting,” says Mr Goff. “The programme, which involves 100 three hour group sessions, forces prisoners to look at the causes and consequences of their own offending.”

Offenders in the programme live separately from the main prison population. Each unit will provide treatment for 120 prisoners per year and will provide a valuable addition to the successful Kia Marama and Te Piriti units for sex offenders, Rimutaka’s specialist violence prevention unit and reintegration unit.

Mr Goff also announced the new programme for offenders in the community called First Steps, which is run in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The programme involves specialist teams and DHB professionals in the Auckland region providing intervention for drug or alcohol-affected offenders. Mr Goff says First Steps will also provide continuity treatment for released prisoners who sought drug and alcohol abuse treatment while in prison.