.jpg)
The Reintegration Pathway for Pasifika and Maori Youth Offenders in Victoria - June 2021
The Reintegration Pathway for Pasifika and Maori Youth Offenders is the first Pasifika led visual representation that outlines the personal journey of Australian Pasifika and Maori youth going through the Victoria Youth Justice system and returning to the community. It was designed by Indigenography and Design (I&D) in partnership with Manariko Consultants Quality and Risk Management consulting and Charis Mentoring Inc.
The ethnographic approach to gathering data is influenced by known Pacific ideologies and led by Pacific researcher and I&D founder; Dr Marion Muliaumaseali’i and proposes a culturally appropriate reintegration pathway providing key touch points of interventions with cultural considerations and recommendations. This partnership with Lead Coordinator Wiki Noda - Taurua (Manariko) and Charis Mentoring has seen a collaboration of Pacific excellence towards pragmatic strategies for the Pacific and Maori youth from their personal experiences.
I&D was also responsible for conceptualizing The Village Response Plan (VRP)- a grassroots response to reducing recidivism amongst Pasifika and Maori youth and the strategic framework to operationalize and manage the many elements of the strategy. It was developed in partnership with Charis to support and further their response to gang related violence in West Melbourne. A unique aspect of the Village Response Plan was the Pasifika professionals that rallied around Charis Mentoring to help deliver its three tier response (First Response. Wrap Around Response and the Community Approach Response) This pathway falls under the “Wrap Around Response” component of the contract to surface key interventions for Pasifika and Maori youth offenders and influence policy frameworks, service delivery and community connections.
NAVIGATION
In preparing the pathway we were influenced by the ancient traditions of Polynesian seafarers who applied Indigenous knowledge and skill to traverse the oceans finding food, new lands and a way of life. The colours of this pathway represent the Moana (deep oceans) of the Pacific. The Polynesian canoe (pictured) is your invitation to navigate your way across this “Moana” to understand the plight of Pasifika and Maori youth offenders looking for support as they navigate to a new way of life.
We recommend you start your navigation from the top of the map where the proposed interventions are listed and aligned to each stage of the offenders ``interactions with authorities”. These stages were called out by the participants as key stages to reintegration. Below this section are four persona’s that best represent the quantitative and qualitative data collected. These ‘journeys’ are a snapshot of the highs, the lows and the needs of Pasifika and Maori youth offenders in Victoria. It does not matter where one begins their navigation as you will eventually find your way to the end of this journey at “Key Recommendations”. It is our hope that these will launch or enhance initiatives that provide sustainable strategies for safer communities for all.