This study reports on the Māori data collected as part of a research project on the children of prisoners carried out in 2009 and 2010, for Pillars, a community organisation that works with the families of prisoners.
It begins with the voices of four tamariki who each have a parent in prison. They tell us about their lives, good and bad. The findings of this study – the first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand - shows where many of the problems lie and what kind of interventions may be successful. Community engagement, more effective health and education interventions and a justice system that is mindful of the needs of the children, can together go a long way towards reducing intergenerational imprisonment.