Exploring Māori identity behind closed doors : an investigation of Māori cultural identity and offender change within Waikeria Prison's Māori Focus Unit, Te Aō Marama : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Abstract

The Ministry of Justice (2013) continually reports an over-representation of Maori within the incarcerated population. An attempt to address these concerns led to the development of the Maori Focus Unit (MFU). The MFU aims to strengthen an offender’s Maori cultural identity through therapeutic programmes rich in tikanga Maori (customs), potentially resulting in offenders, once released from prison, leading pro-social, non-offending lifestyles (Department of Corrections, 2009b; Ministerial Review Report, 2005). However, limited studies inform the relationship between MFU participation, Maori cultural identity and offender change. The current research, based at Waikeria Prison’s MFU, Te Ao Marama, attempted to explore offender change through cultural identity theory of indigenous offending (Chalmers, Williams, & Gavala, 2012; Snowball and Weatherburn, 2008). This theory proposed that, through the destructive effects of colonisation, indigenous peoples lost aspects of their values, beliefs and traditions, while becoming acculturated into the colonising population. This was suggested to have resulted in a decrease in Maori cultural identity, wellbeing and pro-social behaviour, and an increase in anti-social attitudes, cognitions and behaviour (Gale, Bailey-Harris, & Wundersitz, 1990; Pearson, 2001). The current study employed a repeated measures research design in the naturalistic setting of Te Ao Marama. Quantitative measures explored the relationship between Maori cultural identity, wellbeing, anti-social cognitions and attitudes, and pro-social and anti-social behaviour over time spent in Te Ao Marama. Further, participant feedback generated through interviews explored what offenders believed contibuted to any changes experienced. Results suggested that offenders experienced a significant increase in Maori cultural identity, wellbeing and pro-social behaviour, and a significant decrease in anti-social attitudes, cognitions and behaviour over time spent in Te Ao Marama. Furthermore, offenders predominantly reported that their experience in Te Ao Marama had strengthened their Maori cultural identity, and that as a result, they had experienced the changes across the aforementioned constructs. In conclusion, the study may potentially provide information in the establishment of other therapeutic environments aimed at increasing Maori cultural identity.