Briefing on wāhine Māori in the prison system released

The Chief Ombudsman told a Parliamentary Committee that wāhine Māori are over-represented in the criminal justice system and without urgent intervention this situation will only get worse.

John Allen made those comments in a briefing on the issue to Parliament’s Justice Committee in June. 

The aim of the briefing was to assist its members ahead of scrutiny week when Ministers and public sector leaders appear before parliamentary committees to discuss the Government’s Budget spending plans. 

Mr Allen told the Justice Committee that, wāhine Māori made up 65% of the total female prison population as of April 2026 and 69% of those on remand. They were incarcerated at nearly 11 times the rate of non-Māori. 

He said there was a risk that this disproportionate trend would become embedded as part of the overall growth of the prison population.

Ombudsman inspections of all three women’s prisons over recent years confirmed the accommodation for wāhine Māori was inadequate, rehabilitative and kaupapa Māori programmes limited, and they only had restricted access to their tamariki and whānau.

Mr Allen said it was unclear whether the current work plans from agencies were sufficient to tackle a complex problem that had persisted for decades and there was a need for long-term funding of innovative programmes and community initiatives.