How might we define Wellbeing within the Aotearoa New Zealand Custodial Context.
The department's hokai rangi strategy identifies ‘Oranga / Wellbeing’ as the aspirational goal within the purpose statement for the organisation.
Nationally and internationally, the term wellbeing is used in a wide range of situations and its definition can range depending on the context. It can be used to describe individual subjective experience, or mental health or it can be used holistically as an overarching description of quality of life at a national level as with the NZ Treasury Wellbeing model. There is no universally accepted definition of wellbeing so it needs to be understood within the particular context that it is used.
The oranga-wellbeing aspiration is a Hokai Rangi strategy derived imperative, but it is also worth noting that this concept of an overarching multifaceted purpose is also echoed in foundation documents and guiding legislation. Being an Aotearoa New Zealand Institution, the departments activities are guided by Te Tititi o Waitangi and The Treaty of Waitangi. Correctional Operations are also directed by relevant legislation including the Corrections Act (2004), and also; Sentencing Act (2002); Employment Relations Act (2000), Health and Safety at Work Act (2015); Public Health and Disability Act (2000); Privacy Act (2020); Official Information Act (1982).
In the purpose of the Corrections Act (2004) acknowledges a purpose to “improve public safety and contribute to the maintenance of a just society”; to administer sentences and orders “in a safe, secure, humane and effective manner”; to operate “based on the United Nationals Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners” and to assist in rehabilitation and reintegration.
Even within the Departments own publications there are mixed descriptions. A review of the 2020/21 Annual Report provides an example where the term wellbeing is used holistically in the purpose statement as an overarching term that encompasses all outcomes, then with narrower implications alongside other outcomes in the foreword.
Note: It's also worth highlighting that the english translation refers to there being ‘one’ purpose but then referring to ‘two’ terms - wellbeing and wellness.
The Hokai Rangi purpose statement is the overarching guidance statement for the organisation, so for the purposes of this study we have given it the strongest weight. This is supported by further explanations “The Department identifies that Hokai Rangi “seeks to put wellbeing at the heart of everything we do”. We also acknowledge that Hokai Rangi is bi-cultural, and the term wellbeing is a translation of the Māori term ‘oranga’. So we put additional weight for our definition from ‘te ao Māori ’ - a Māori worldview.
“Wellbeing for the people” (..oranga o te iwi) is the over-arching idea:
To ensure better outcomes for the people we manage, our staff and partners, and all of our communities in Aotearoa.
By achieving recognised outcomes including those identified by Corrections”
“.. to help people address the causes of their offending, improve their [health and wellness], safely reintegrate back into their communities
.. and to address Māori overrepresentation,
… offenders transform[ing] their lives with the help of staff and a focus on rehabilitation and mental health
….. Long-lasting change [in the community] that will ultimately lead to fewer victims and safer communities….. safer environments for staff
...the safe management of people in prisons and… [providing] food, clothing, primary healthcare and mental health services, cultural and spiritual support, offered rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, and assistance to help transition safely and successfully into their community upon release
This definition aligns with Auty and Leiblings description of a ‘rehabilitation oriented prison culture’ which they describe as “a combination of the security dimensions, wellbeing and development dimensions and harmony dimensions act together to create prison cultures that are more rehabilitation-oriented. It also aligns with Mann's description of a rehabilitation prison culture: Rehabilitative culture is different from interventions or offending behaviour programmes, substance misuse interventions, employment training, education, and assistance with resettlement. These activities should be part of a rehabilitative prison but they do not form its culture. It is more than the prison’s social culture; it includes the prison’s ‘philosophy and fitness for purpose in relation to reducing reoffending’. This is a culture with a purpose; that is, to support people in turning away from crime and toward a different life. Rehabilitative culture is focused on enabling change — not on creating or maintaining stability. It is an ambition for prisons that goes beyond ‘safe, decent and secure’.
For these reasons, we believe that wellbeing can be considered as a descriptor for ‘social climate’ in Aotearoa New Zealand Custodial Services at this time. The rationale is fully outlined in the following sections.
The Oranga Wellbeing Problem - the current challenges in NZ Justice system and prisons
Hokai Rangi “seeks to put wellbeing at the heart of everything we do, to deliver better outcomes for the people we manage, our staff and partners, and all of our communities in Aotearoa. It further identifies that it is “doing everything we can to help people address the causes of their offending, improve their wellbeing, and safely reintegrate back into their communities. But there is more to do, especially to address Māori overrepresentation.
In the 20-21 Annual report, the department acknowledges the challenges it faces, in that it operates in some of “the most difficult and challenging environments in Aotearoa New Zealand, with complex people who have serious convictions, including for physical and sexual violence. People also often come into our management with significant learning, disability, mental health and addiction needs.
Another challenge includes that NZ has one of the highest imprisonment rates in the OECD. Wellbeing of the Māori community, as the indigenous population is a recognised issue with Māori representation in prisons identified internationally as being disproportionately high.
Community safety is another recognised operational challenge. Two recent examples of public safety related events include; the riots at New Zealand's Waikeria Prison which broke out between 29 December 2020 and 3 January 2021, and, the prisoner that escaped from Rimutaka Prison in Upper Hutt prison on February 18.
Prison staff safety, mental health and engagement is a considerable Organisational Development issue. In 2021 there were high levels of staff assaults reported and high incident rates in general. Potentially traumatic events (e.g. death in custody, self-harm, assault) are a regular part of prison life. Staff engagement and resourcing is an important issue for the department, as it is for any organisation. Informal feedback from one staff member in 2021 which is indicative of data was “when I started in 1997 older Corrections Officers or females would never get assaulted. That happens now fairly regularly. It's becoming like the wild-west in some prisons units.”
In summary, if oranga - wellbeing is identified as the foundational, then to achieve wellbeing the combined needs of all those collective key stakeholders must be taken into account and addressed. Is this possible or are they fundamentally irreconcilable?
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