Leading from the front issuu

AN ABSOLUTE RJ POWERHOUSE
by jackie katounas
My earliest memory of Pat was probably during the
1960’s at the home of my grand-parents in Waghorne
Street, Ahuriri, Napier, where Pat was a regular visitor.
He grew up with my Father, Ray McKee and as boys,
they went to school together.
I have so many memories of Pat over the years, but
for me the most significant time was Pat’s involvement
within the Restorative Justice (RJ) movement. He was an
absolute powerhouse at endeavouring to educate people
about the huge benefits of RJ. If not for Pat I would
not have become so passionate about RJ.
In the early 1990’s Pat arranged to bring a guest
speaker to Napier, Father Jim Consedine, former Chaplain
at CHCH Men’s prison for over 20 years. The advertisement
in the paper called it, ‘Creating a peaceful
pathway to our criminal justice system’ — I had to go!
That speech changed my life forever and Pat supported
and encouraged me every step of the way over
the next 20 odd years. I went on to pioneer the implementation
of Restorative Justice into prisons, starting at
Hawke’s Bay prison, and Pat encouraged me when I was
feeling isolated. He would pop in for a cuppa just to chat
or hear me vent. He was a constant unwavering supporter
in all I took on in the prisons. Pat was never frightened
to knock on anyone’s door if he thought it could help
improve the justice/prison system.
His vision is to “Build Communities Not Prisons” and
he is 100% committed to do all he can to make it right
and just for all.
We became close mates over those years. While there
were times I’d roll my eyes at him, I admire, respect and
love him dearly. Pat is a man who is on earth to bring
hope to those who are marginalised, those who struggle
and those who are often living on the fringes of the community.
Pat has a huge heart for the fallen, the unloved,
the ostracised, the outcasts and he sees good and potential
in every single one of them.
One other significant thing that impacted me as a teen
was the Downtown Y, a venue Pat created for the youth
of Napier when there was nothing. I was a frequent patron.
Much fun was had at the Y and finally there was
somewhere to go instead of hanging around the streets.
I remember a little gold stick pin I had with the Downtown
Y logo on it.
One of the funniest
stories I remember,
although it probably
wasn’t that funny at the
time, and I’m not even sure
it’s appropriate; however, I’ve
always lived on the edge and
pushed the boundaries, so here goes!!
Just to give a little context, my Dad died when I was
11 years old. I don’t remember too much about him and
I would often ask Pat to tell me things about Dad — I
wanted to know what kind of a guy he was.
Back in 1998, there was a van load of us, about eight if
I remember, travelling from Napier to Auckland to attend
an RJ weekend gathering. We were all going to stay at
our friend Helen Bowen’s Muriwai beach house. We had
been on the road about four hours, some were snoozing,
it was quiet, then this voice from the back of the van
says….”Your Father taught me how to wank, you know.”
Oh my gosh, I nearly choked and everyone was awake
and alert now! I was bright red in the face, Pat was giggling
and all I could say was, “Too much information,
Pat”. Now, all these years later I burst out laughing every
time I think of it.
Dear Pat, his name will be associated with many individuals,
organisations, NGO’s, gangs, many Marae, also
many prisons. The list is unending. A valuable legacy he
will leave is the Robson Collection at the Napier Library,
a huge collection of books regarding social justice issues,
abolition of prisons and Restorative Justice.
He will offer his support to anyone who endeavours to
make the world a more caring, loving and compassionate
place.
What I do know about Pat, is that if you were sitting in
the gutter a broken mess, he would sit right alongside
of you and work out a way to make it better — without
judgement, just compassion and understanding. He is
truly a unique and beautiful individual.
This man has a heart for Justice as huge as Africa and
my life is certainly richer for having the opportunity to
benefit from his wisdom and never doubt his friendship.
Always “me ol’ shipmate”!
Loyalty is not negotiable in my circle. I love to laugh
until my sides ache.
Restorative Justice – for an unjust justice system 183