Kaupapa Maori Units to be put in Prisons

A Maori academic who has worked for decades in the prison system says reconnecting Maori inmates to their culture is key to their rehabilitation. The Government's new strategy to slash prison numbers includes putting Kaupapa Maori units and programmes into every prison. There are currently only five but when Rawiri Waretini-Karena was in prison more than 30 years ago, they were unheard of. He now has a doctorate in Indigenous Studies and and has created his own programme, to help change the how Maori inmates think of themselves. Dr Waretini-Karena told our reporter Meriana Johnsen he's drawn on his own life experience, his studies and the time he spent behind bars.