Boot camp policy will 'punish trauma' - abuse survivor

The government's boot camp policy will not work and only further punish those suffering trauma, an advocate for abuse survivors says.

The coalition's plan for detaining serious teenage offenders at military-style boot camps run by Oranga Tamariki has been met by criticism from youth advocates and survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care.

Male Survivors Aotearoa national advocate Ken Clearwater slammed the plan in a letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

"I emailed you on the 16th April re the boot camps. I spoke about the conversation you and I had at the Rangiora Town Hall with Matt Doocey before the elections re boot camps and my concerns, and what you told me," his letter said.

"I was bemused by the reply I got from [Children's] Minister [Karen] Chhour considering the minister was not involved in our conversation.

"I go back to that conversation we had where you told me in front of several hundred members of the public that "we have the best military trainers in the country" and now we find out the military told you of their concerns a while back. You even spoke about the LSV (Limited Volunteer Service) which is where their concerns come from."

While opposition leader in November 2022, Luxon announced National's plan to create young offender military academies run by the Defence Force.

Clearwater questioned why the boot camps were going to be run by Oranga Tamariki, pointing to revelations staff were stood down over running fight clubs in youth justice facilities and the number of children experiencing harm in the ministry's care.

"This is the agency you are going to trust to look after some of our most vulnerable? As I stated previously these young people need guidance, many will have come from traumatic pasts and you can't punish trauma.

"You told me that each young person would have a professional support person with them. I asked you where you will be getting those people from, as someone working on the coalface, they just aren't there. If they were, they could help these young people before they got into trouble. We know there is a shortage of 1000 psychologists and some of your new policies are going to cut back on social workers."

The government's policies had failed children for 157 years, Clearwater said.

"I see in the news when told about many concerns re boot camps you said, 'I don't care what you say about whether it does or doesn't work,'" Clearwater wrote.

"I care prime minister because for the last 30 years I have worked with the results of failed government policies like this one, I have sat in prison cells, doss houses, mental health institutions, on the streets, with men who as boys were raped and tortured while in the 'care' of state and faith-based organisations.

"Where many have been and are still institutionalised and still in the 'care' of the state, either in prison, mental health facilities, sickness benefits, unemployment benefits and in many cases unable to live with the shame and guilt have taken their own lives. I carry that every day, I care.

"My question to you prime minister is why would you and the coalition government not wait until the royal commission report comes out before you make these decisions, decisions like past governments have made and failed. The royal commission will be the best 'blueprint' for the future of our youth and this nation. We owe it to the people of Aotearoa and our children who as we know are our future.

"If you truly want to make a difference and not just make a political statement, do a stocktake of all services in this country doing good work with our young people and give them the proper funding to deliver those services. This will show our young people we care about them and save the country billions of dollars.

"There is no doubt these young people have to be held accountable and I agree with you we have to try something, unfortunately boot camps are not the answer."

RNZ asked the prime minister's office if it had any response to Clearwater's letter and concerns. It referred all comment to Chhour.

Chhour's office said the minister was away on holiday this week, but was aware of Clearwater's concerns and staff had contacted him.