Prison rehabilitation in New Zealand

Abstract

Rehabilitation within the context of the New Zealand prison for the adult male offender is described and analysed. The thesis comprises three parts: Part I reviews the overseas literature concerning the broad field of current rehabilitation theory and, more specifically, the objectives of prison rehabilitation. Different rehabilitative aspects of penal policies and programmes are then looked at (for example, prison industry, group work, and social work services). Part II describes prison rehabilitation in New Zealand utilising material from the available literature and data obtained in interviews with 14 informants involved in this field. Part III evaluates the nature and development of prison rehabilitation policies and programmes in New Zealand in the light of the overseas concepts. The author concludes that because rehabilitation is one of four disparate penal objectives, and because of the precedence accorded to the goals of effective custody, retribution and deterrence, prison rehabilitation may currently serve to off-set the negative effects of imprisonment. Other professed rehabilitative objectives of preventing recidivism or preparing an inmate for useful and satisfying roles within society remain essentially fond hopes. If the effective and long-term protection of the New Zealand public is indeed the aim of penal policy, then a commitment to a comprehensive rehabilitative philosophy is indicated. This becomes feasible because of continual experimentation and evaluation within the prison system.