The youth unit at Christchurch Men's Prison. Photo: Luke McPake / The Wireless.
The Department of Corrections is failing to prevent young prisoners from joining gangs, a report has found.
The report, Young people and young adults in Corrections' custody, includes 26 recommendations, all of which Corrections has accepted in principle.
It called for a gang management plan to take into account young people's vulnerability and susceptibility to harmful influences in prison.
"Around half of those under 25 in prison have a recorded gang affiliation - and this rises to 80 percent for 18-year-olds," Corrections' chief inspector Janis Adair said.
"Young people in mainstream high security units told us it's difficult to avoid gang influences and intimidation. Many said connecting with gangs helped give them a sense of identity and belonging. Many were from gang-entrenched families, where violence, drugs and alcohol were the norm - but some wanted to change that."
The inspection was conducted across all 18 New Zealand prisons between September 2023 and July 2024. More than 200 young people were interviewed, as well as staff, experts from New Zealand and overseas, lawyers, and people who had turned their lives around after being in the criminal justice system.
It found youth units and safe spaces for younger inmates had been reduced over the past five years, which had exposed young prisoners to older, gang-affiliated inmates in mainstream high-security units, and increased recruitment into gangs.
Mainstream prison units were the single biggest recruitment centres for gangs in New Zealand, lawyer Amanda Hill said.
"Mixing young people and adults results in many young people being recruited into gangs to keep safe from violence and intimidation.
"Keeping young people away from mainstream units is key to keeping them away from gangs."
Lawyer Amanda Hill says mainstream prison units are the single biggest recruitment centres for gangs. Photo: Tom Gilmartin
Trials of youth units had taken place at Rimutaka Prison (Te Ara Tauwhaiti) and Manawatū Prison (Tū Mai).
The pilots showed promise in reducing gang influence and improving outcomes for young adults, the report found.
The units had "reintegration workers who supported and mentored young men" and implemented a 12-week tikanga Māori programme, which fostered connections with whānau.
Evaluations showed the units helped young men achieve parole earlier, access treatment faster, and comply with conditions, reducing re-offending.
Despite endorsement from the then Principal Youth Court Judge and the Chief Ombudsman, as well as positive feedback from staff who worked in these units, the young men and their whānau, Corrections had discontinued these young adult unit pilot initiatives.
The young men were then returned to mainstream units, where gang influence was stronger.
A manager at Manawatū Prison said he tried to keep Tū Mai going but could no longer get funding.
Corrections had experienced staffing pressures in recent years, which had impacted the delivery of rehabilitation and integration programmes, deputy commissioner for men's prisons Neil Beales said.
Adair said she had not made a recommendation about the establishment of more youth units.
"While there can be benefits from having youth units, they are not necessarily the answer for all young people in prison.
"While some young people are vulnerable to bullying and intimidation, others need to be managed in accordance with the risk they pose to the security and good order of the prison."
But young people placed in mainstream high-security units with adult prisoners said it was difficult for them to avoid gang influences and intimidation.
"It is unsafe if you are not with a gang. You don't have a choice, they put us in with the big boys," one young man said.
"It is dangerous if you are a nothing. It is their house if they are doing life. They will tell you that if you do what they say, they will tattoo you, patch you up and give you things.
"Gangs look after the young ones, give them shoes and food. If not, you get a hiding and you go to [segregation]."
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