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Summarised by Centrist
Oranga Tamariki will launch its second military-style youth justice academy in the second week of March, extending the residential “boot camp” phase from three months to four as the government continues to test the programme before legislation enabling permanent camps passes Parliament.
The second pilot, part of the government’s strategy to tackle serious youth offending, will involve 10 teenagers who have volunteered to participate and will live at Palmerston North’s youth justice facility during the residential phase. After completing the four-month programme, they will spend the rest of the year in the community under supervision.
Oranga Tamariki said both the teenagers and their families had agreed to take part.
The programme will focus on life skills such as budgeting, cooking, household maintenance, job applications, interview preparation, opening a bank account and beginning the process of obtaining a driver’s licence. These are combined with “intensive physical, mental wellbeing and cultural support aspects”.
Oranga Tamariki said the design of the second camp incorporates lessons from the first pilot in 2024.
“There will be consistent therapeutic support throughout both the residential and community phases,” the agency said.
Best Care (Whakapai Hauora), an iwi provider involved in the first pilot, helped design the second programme.
The New Zealand Defence Force is not involved after warning that strict military-style programmes could harm young people.
Budget 2025 allocated $33 million to test whether youth boot camps reduce repeat serious offending.
