Less than half of all prisoners are attending rehabilitation programmes each year - and the numbers are only getting worse despite the Government throwing more money at the problem.
1 NEWS has the exclusive numbers as programme providers call for change.
In 2017 less than half of all prisoners attended a rehabilitation programme.
Those figures got worse last year, with just 41 per cent of inmates accessing rehab programmes, an eight per cent drop.
Programme providers like the Salvation Army say rehabilitation is effective.
“One of the big drivers of people offending is alcohol and drug addiction issues and you can do a lot to change that - treatment really does work for people,” Salvation Army National Director Lieutenant Colonel Lynette Hutson says.
“It is really disappointing to see that there's a drop of people accessing the programmes because we know they're really needed.”
Shane White runs a tikanga Māori programme at Auckland Prison.
He says prisoners are often only offered rehabilitation towards the end of their sentences.
“I’ve seen cases of people doing nothing for seven years and then at their first parole board hearing being admonished for not doing any programmes,” White says.
The Government is spending more money, in 2017 the Corrections budget was $1.3 billion, around $124,000 per inmate.
Last year that jumped to $1.7 billion, just over $190,000 dollars per prisoner.
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis often points to a reduced prison population under his watch - down 14 per cent.
But when it came to a reduction in rehabilitation numbers, Davis refused to be interviewed by 1 NEWS.
However, ACT leader David Seymour was happy to comment on the issue.
“Only Kelvin Davis could spend 50 per cent more money, get worse results, and more disorder.”
SHARE ME