Ele Ludemann: What would they do instead?

The news that two of the participants in the young offender military academies have absconded and a third died in a car accident has led to the Opposition calling for an end to the initiative.

On Thursday it was reported that one of the young men taking part in the boot camp pilot was on the run after attending the funeral of another who had died in a car crash in Tirau last week.

Those taking part in the pilot were released from the youth justice facility in Palmerston North in October, and have been in the community phase of the boot camp programme.

Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive of youth justice services and residential care Tusha Penny told a parliamentary select committee on Friday morning that two participants were actually on the run.

One escaped from the tangi – despite being supervised by two Oranga Tamariki staff – and another a day later, she said. . .

Speaking to MPs earlier, Penny said the whānau of the teenager who has died was dealing with having to bury a son and brother, and that needed to be acknowledged first and foremost.

“We sat here probably a year ago now and said transition is going to be tough, because it’s evidenced up the wazoo and everyday people are fighting. The recidivism rates we have every week going into the youth justice residences are around 60 to 80 percent.

“So I want to put that out there, because we need the reality.” . . .

These are serious offenders with behaviour that will not miraculously turn around in a very short time but the news isn’t all bad.

But Penny said there were also some bright points, such as one of the participants being in full-time employment, another in work experience, and others in education courses.

She shared the story of one participant who had begun saying, “I love you,” when speaking with his mother on the phone from a youth justice residence.

“I know this has been incredibly politicised … I am not saying the whole thing has been successful … I am not saying this is the panacea, I am not saying this is the answer, but I’m definitely saying what we are seeing could be an improvement for youth justice across the board with an operating model.” . .

What would the Opposition do instead?

It would be a miracle if even half the participants did manage to stay on the straight and narrow but that would be a better non-recidivism rate than alternatives and those calling for an end to the scheme have not come up with better alternatives.

Any law abiding lives would be something to celebrate, benefitting not only the former offenders but their families, future partners and offspring and the innocent people who would not become victims of crimes.

It is far too early to stop the programme and those wanting that must come up with a much better alternative.

All they are doing now is playing politics and the worst example of that is this from a Green MP.


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The young man who died was not in a residential facility but living in the community. That his family permitted the Minister responsible for the scheme, Karen Chhour to attend his tangi suggests they were supportive of the scheme.

Ele Ludemann is a North Otago farmer and journalist, who blogs HERE - where this article was sourced.