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Archived Press Releases 2007 27th July 2007

Maori thrive on discipline

(27th July 2007)

The Sensible Sentencing Trust have been criticised by some working within the Prison system for going to America to study the Prison system there, but the decision has also found considerable support.

The Trust's Maori Issues spokeswoman says she appreciates and supports the Sensible Sentencing Trust's commitment to change by taking a trip to America with a television crew to find a better solution to our prison system in Aotearoa.

"We have hotels not prisons; offenders consider it a home away from home." Kelly Te Heuheu says.

"The inmates themselves often joke about living there on behalf of her Majesty the Queen."

"The New Zealand government are a joke and fools to these offenders; they mock and ridicule the current soft prison system."

"Offenders are not dumb and uneducated as the government leaders would prefer us to think."

"Inmates are very clever at scheming and planning, and know how to play the system well."

"Inmates run rings around the corrections staff and manipulate the psychologists and prisoners support services. They have human rights to back them up. They have criminal lawyers, agencies and services earning a rewarding income from their offending."

"The responsibilities of caring for their whanau are being kept by government handouts. And who pays for this? The New Zealand taxpayers are being made fools of."

"Thugs who kill a cop or an opposition gang member are made heroes of by their criminal mates, but the real heroes are the brave soldiers who fought for this country."

Maori are tough – they are warriors and warriors need and respect the discipline the army teaches them, our people make fine soldiers. They have fought and died for this country, soft on crime and in prisons is making fools of our people," says Kelly.

"Wake up fools, and bring back prisons as a place where offenders will not want to go again. Only then will our crime rate and prison rate decrease, and more importantly deter our Maori people from a life of imprisonment!"

"Maori thrive on discipline and boundaries, and current soft on crime policies are destroying our people", says Kelly.

Regards,

Kelly Te Heuheu
Maori Crime Issues Specialist,
Taupo Co-ordinator and Media Spokeperson
Sensible Sentencing Trust
Aotearoa
Email kteh@ihug.co.nz