Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says his Ngāpuhi iwi is probably the most detained tribe in the world and he has a goal to change that.
Kelvin Davis said that Māori made up more than half of the prison population and that 50 percent, half of them came from Ngāpuhi.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
The government's criminal justice summit will begin tonight at parliament, before it goes on for two days in Porirua, north of Wellington.
All interested parties are brought together justice, Corrections and police to talk about the reform plan of the government in the system, and how this can best be achieved.
Davis said that Māori accounts for more than 50 percent of the prison population, and he wants to reduce that number. [19659006] "Of that 50 percent, half again, comes from Ngāpuhi, my own tribe, so this is personal.
" My tribe of Ngāpuhi is probably the most imprisoned tribe in the world, per capita, So we really have to look at what we are going to do differently as a country, to turn these figures around. "
Mr. Davis said that Māori should be included in the conversation, and welcomes half of the justice advisory group established by Justice Minister Andrew Little and led by former national parliamentarian Chester Burrows, his Māori. [19659006] "If Māori is more than 50 percent of the prison population, we should actually talk to Māori about whatever the solutions are."
One of the big problems is institutional racism, and Mr. Davis said he was among the was impressed by police chief Mike Bush's performance, particularly in recognizing unconscious bias in the police
"The question then becomes:" What are we doing? "
" Because if it is not an unconscious bias Well, then it is a conscious bias and we must make changes to ensure that Māori is not particularly picked up, or seen as those who commit the whole crime. "
points to an example in the last year at his home in the north, where people were incredibly upset about the imbalance of justice.
"A few families who could afford justice actually got a form of justice, while people who could not afford justice for minor offenses actually got a prison sentence, and that kind of thing is wrong."
Mr. Davis said they looked at all aspects of the system to make sure it was fair to everyone.
He said that the rule of law this week is an opportunity for people to have all parts of the system have their say.
"We expect a lot of thinking and lots of ideas to get out of this, and we have to cut through and see which ones are the best that can make a difference in the short term, in the medium and long term," he said.
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