Evaluation Report 2: Hard to Reach Youth (CART) - Te Puni Kokiri

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APPROACHThe study initially aimed to collect rich narrative data through face-to-face interviews. In thisregard, the following interviews were to be carried out in each of the three sites: one interview with the manager of the provider organisation; and two individual interviews with individuals who are identified as having a successful transitionfrom involvement in crime and the criminal justice sector into pro-social living and a lifewithout offending.This approach was amended with the CART: Hard-to-Reach Youth Project interviews. Ratherthan one-on-one interviews, a group facilitation approach was used to embrace theparticipation of the Community Worker (Roy Dunn), three members of the Notorious MongrelMob Chapter and six young people who had participated in the programme. As aconsequence, rather than an in-depth semi-structured interview format with individuals, theevaluation adopted a workshop-styled approach where young people‟s and providerperspectives were gathered simultaneously. The workshop occurred over three hours and,with participants‟ permission, was digitally recorded.In addition, outcome data was gathered through the workshop process.5 CART: Hard-to-Reach Youth Project – Evaluation Report, Te Puni Kōkiri July 2009
CONTEXUALISING THEPROGRAMMEThe initiative was initially referred to as the „Hard-to-Reach Youth‟ project because of theyoung peoples‟: affiliation with criminal youth gangs (crews); and distrust of and resistance to: Social service agencies The Police Courts Authority figures in general.Much of this resistance can be traced to poor experiences with authority figures at an earlyage and a continued process of being labelled as deviant. For example, a large proportion ofthe young people in question had: negative experiences whilst in the care of Child, Youth and Family; been labelled as “dumb” by their teachers; and few positive family role models.These negative experiences often culminated with the young people leaving school betweenthe ages of 12 and 14 years and having little future focus aside from burglary and aspiring torun their own tinny houses. Following school, the young people‟s negative experiences andperceptions of authority figures were galvanised through repeat arrests and, for the olderyouth, incarceration.As a consequence, the crews provided metaphorical whānau units - enclaves of support and asense of belonging. These whānau units, while positive in providing a sense of belonging,placed the young people outside of mainstream society and reinforced being labelled asdeviant. This culminated in a sense of being unemployable as the young people reportednumerous rejections and traced these to employers‟ knowledge of the individual‟s criminalhistories, family associations and/or the individual‟s reputation in the community. In turn, theprocess of being labelled deviant reinforced the young people‟s distrust of authority figuresand growing beliefs that economic wellbeing could only be achieved through criminal activity.Given the degree of resistance, the Community Worker‟s (alongside other members of theMongrel Mob‟s Notorious Chapter) ability to engage with these young people has been heldup as a major success by the young people, community members and some Policerepresentatives.Three factors have been identified that go some way in explaining the successes underpinningengagement with the various crews: the respect that patched members conjure among the crews of South Auckland; life history similarities; and6
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Page 3 and 4: CONTENTSINTRODUCTION ..............
Page 5: Each initiative was evaluated in mi
Page 9: a sense of safety through an enviro
Page 12 and 13: QUANTIFIABLE OUTCOMESTable 1 outlin
Page 14 and 15: CHALLENGESDespite the programme‟s
Page 17 and 18: CONCLUSIONIn 2007, under the Progra
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Evaluation Report 2: Hard to Reach Youth (CART) - Te Puni Kokiri

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