Boot camps in New Zealand

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Boot camps in New Zealand have been established on several occasions as part of the corrections system. [1] These boot camp programmes have typically focussed on a small group of young male offenders, and have used military-style training. The establishment of boot camp programmes has been a pre-election promise made prior to several general elections since 2008 by political leaders from the National Party, [2] [3] and there has been a significant level of popular support. [4] However, multiple studies have shown that these programmes are ineffective in reducing rates of re-offending, [5] [6] and some argue that they increase the likelihood of criminal activity. [7] The concept has been widely criticised for failing to address the root causes of criminal behaviour by young people, such as abuse within the family, mental health issues and homelessness. As early as 1997, the Corrections Minister Paul East of the National Party acknowledged that corrective training was not effective in reducing youth re-offending and said: [1]

Contents

It's clear from what Prison Officers are telling me that we need to provide these young people with programmes which target the reasons for their recidivism

As of 2025 the National-led coalition government is funding the establishment of boot camps as part of its youth justice programme. [8]

Early history

In 1961, New Zealand established detention centres where youth offenders aged between 16 and 21 years could be sentenced to a custodial sentence of three months of boot camp-style activities. These detention centres existed alongside borstals for youth offenders, which operated between 1924 and 1981. [9] New Zealand set up its first boot camps in 1971. [1] These were abandoned in 1981 and replaced with corrective training until 2002. [10] [1] The boot camps were regarded as a failure with a 71% rate of re-offending among corrective trainees. [11] [1] By 1997, the recidivism rate for correctional training graduates after five years had reached 92%, three times the rate of the general population. In June 1997, Corrections Minister Paul East concluded that corrective training had failed to reduce youth offending. Corrective training was abolished by the Sentencing Act 2002. [1]

The Te Whakapakari Youth Programme, a Māori culture-oriented outdoor adventure programme in Great Barrier Island run by boxer John da Silva for youth offenders and "difficult to manage" state wards, ran between 1977 and 2004. The programme utilised physical exercise and labour, and was nicknamed "boot camp" by participants. The programme has come under the scrutiny of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care due to reports of psychological, physical and sexual abuse. [12] [13]

Military activity camps, 2010–2016

Prior to being elected into Government in 2008 the National Party released a policy of using boot camps for those with drug problems. [2] Between 2010 and 2016, the Fifth National Government ran military-style activity camps (MACs) run by Child, Youth and Family (CYF) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for forty of the most serious recidivist young offenders which involved marching exercises, mentoring, drug and alcohol treatment programs, education, and an assisted move back into the community. [14] [15] The MAC consisted of a nine-week camp for serious, recidivist offenders in Christchurch, a court-supervised "Fresh Start" programme providing up to ten days of adventure camp activities, and a 6-12 month community Supervision Order involving a social worker. [16] [15]

By December 2012, 19 of the 31 youths who attended the camps in the past year had reoffended. [17] 35 of the 42 participants in the first boot camp intake reoffended while 15 of the 17 participants in the second intake reoffended. [18] [1] While the-then Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett claimed the programmes had succeeded in lowering offending among that group, this was disputed by Prime Minister John Key's chief science adviser Sir Peter Gluckman in a 2011 report. [16] The New Zealand Families Commission concluded that military camps and other measures such as curfews with electronic monitoring could not reduce re-offending on their own and that the most successful rehabilitation programmes involved the offenders' families. [14] The MAC programme ended in December 2016 due to a decline in participants, rising costs and NZDF concerns about the safety of their personnel. According to a 2023 Oranga Tamariki briefing, the MAC programme faced several challenges including a lack of robust support to address the causes of offending and insufficient transitional support following the completion of the residential phase. [15]

National's proposed boot camps, 2017–2023

On 13 August 2017, Prime Minister Bill English promised to establish a boot camp known as the "Junior Training Academy" for youth offenders at the Waiouru Military Camp during the 2017 election campaign. English clarified that the camp would be for a small group of around 150 young offenders who had committed serious offenses including serious assault, sexual assaults, aggravated robbery and murder. [3] In response, youth justice advocacy group JustSpeak director Katie Bruce criticized the proposed boot camp policy and argued that it would do little to curb re-offending among young offenders. [16] National's proposed policy was criticized by the radio host Mark Sainsbury, The Opportunities Party leader Gareth Morgan, the New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, and the University of Canterbury psychologist and author Jarrod Gilbert, who contended that the policy was aimed at enticing voters rather than helping youth offenders and that previous boot camp programmes had failed. [19] [5] The boot camp policy was also criticized by both National's support partner, the Māori Party, and the opposition Green Party for doing little to address youth offending within the Māori and the Pasifika communities. [20] David Seymour, the leader of National's support partner the ACT Party, criticized the boot camp policy as a sign of the Government's failure to tackle "broken families" and youth crime. [21]

While campaigning during the 2022 Hamilton West by-election in mid November 2022, National Party leader Christopher Luxon announced that if elected National would establish boot camps known as Youth Offender Military Academies for juvenile offenders aged between 15 and 17 years. These camps would be run by the Ministry of Justice and NZDF and would provided education, counselling, drug and alcohol treatment, and cultural support to offenders. [22] [23] Luxon's proposal was criticised by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the NZ Psychological Society, and youth workers Aaron Hendry and Apiphany Forward Taua, who argued that boot camps failed to address the causes of youth crime. [24] [25] In addition, Gluckman criticised boot camps and other "scared straight" programmes for increasing crime. He advocated addressing juvenile delinquency and abuse through early intervention programmes, targeted mental health services, and complimentary services focusing on the Māori and Pasifika communities. [26] By contrast, former Hamilton City councillor Mark Bunting opined that boot camps could help deal with high youth crime rates in the Waikato region and was preferable to sending youth offenders to prison. [27]

In early December 2022, a 1News-Kantar public opinion poll found that 60% of respondents supported National's military boot camp policy while 31% opposed it and 9% were undecided. The poll surveyed 1,011 eligible voters including mobile phone users and online panels. Those most likely to support the boot camp policy were National and ACT voters, women aged 55 years and above, and Aucklanders. Those most opposed to the policy were Green voters, Wellingtonians, Labour voters, and those aged between 18 and 29 years. [4]

In August 2023, National's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell said that the Youth Offender Military Academies would be modeled after the New Zealand Defence Force's six-week Limited Service Volunteer programme. Youth offenders would be able to undertake courses in numeracy, team-building, literacy and physical activities. He said that the Academies would last for one year and would be based at several military bases including Trentham Military Camp in Upper Hutt, Whenuapai's RNZAF Base Auckland, and Burnham Military Camp near Christchurch. The New Zealand Herald reported that National had not been in contact with the Defence Force, which offered no comment on the boot camp policy. [28]

Military-Style Academy pilot, 2024–2025

In March 2024, Children's Minister Karen Chhour confirmed that the National-led coalition government would be launching a pilot programme for its Youth Offender Military Academies. The programme would be run by Oranga Tamariki and have a rehabilitative and trauma-informed care approach. The pilot camp would also have a military-style component. [29] [30] The pilot boot camp is expected to open in 2024 and will host ten young people for a period of four months. [31] [32] The Government's boot camp programme was criticised by Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, who said that military-style academies did not "resolve the driver of crimes" and that boot camps, borstals and boy's homes contributed to the persistence of gangs. [7] The IHC director of advocacy Tania Thomas, Professor Joanna Kidman, Auckland youth development worker Aaron Hendry and human rights law firm Cooper Legal also expressed concern about the punitive nature of boot camps and their impact on disadvantaged children and young people, particularly Māori and the intellectually disabled. [33] In response to criticism, Chhour argued that boot camps were needed to show young offenders "there were consequences for their actions but they could benefit from a chance to turn their lives around." Similarly, Police Minister Mark Mitchell argued that boot camps were needed because serious youth offenders were a "danger to the community...and themselves." [34]

In mid June 2024, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported that Oranga Tamariki's pilot boot camp would open on 29 July with a first cohort of 10 teenagers. The boot camp would consist of three months of "military-style activities" and a special curriculum in a residential setting followed by nine months of intensive mentoring in the community with whanau (family) support. Research conducted by the Billy Graham Youth Foundation and Impact Lab found that boot camps reduced reoffending in the first 18 months but that reoffending rates increased after two years. They also advocated a therapeutic approach rather than a punitive approach to boot camps. [35] In early July 2024, RNZ reported that the pilot boot camp would be based in Palmerston North. While the New Zealand Defence Force would not be staffing the boot camps, it would be involved at a governance level. Oranga Tamariki would be responsible for staffing the camps. [36] According to Stuff, the Defence Force had expressed concerns about running the boot camps, saying that it would affect its workforce capabilities, staff morale and retention, and its lack of experience in youth justice management, educational and specialist therapeutics. The Defence Force also warned that it lack the legal mandate to manage youth detention facilities, which prompted the Government to introduce legislation giving boot camp operators the power to use force to detain participants. [37]

In mid-August 2024, one of the youth participants withdrew from the pilot boot camp programme. According to Te Ao Māori News, participants underwent a structured daily routine consisting of washing, military-style drills, cleaning their rooms and ironing their clothes. In addition, participants also received individualised education and clinical sessions. [38] In early September 2024, Stuff reported that the Military Style Academy and subsequent boot camps would provide participants outdoor excursions, martial arts training, yoga and access to therapists. While the academy targeted serious youth offenders who had been sentenced through the Youth Court, Oranga Tamariki excluded co-offenders, those with gang connections, physical and mental disabilities. Females were also excluded from the pilot programme due to the staffing requirements needed for mixed gender cohorts. [39] In early November 2024, RNZ reported that the New Zealand Cabinet had authorised the use of physical force by boot camp operators to control unruly participants. In response, Luxon said that physical force would only be used as a "last resort" against youth offenders. [40]

On 21 November 2024, a youth who had participated in the government's boot camp pilot was accused of reoffending five weeks after graduating from the programme. [41] On 5 December 2024, Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive Tusha Penny confirmed that a second boot camp participant had died in a motor accident near Tīrau and that another former boot camp participant, who had attended his tangihanga (funeral), was on the run. [42] [43] By 8 December two former boot camp participants, including the one who had attended the tangihanga, had been arrested in relation to the theft of a car near Hamilton. In response, Chhour expressed relief that the youths had been found while expressing disappointment with the youths. Meanwhile, Labour's children spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime and Green's justice spokesperson Tamatha Paul questioned the success of the government's boot camp programme. [44]

On 15 February 2025, Malatest International released its evaluation of the Military-Style Academy pilot. While its report noted positive developments such as youth participants reconnecting with their families, health issues being addressed and the lack of fighting among participants, it also expressed concerns about insufficient staff ratios, and limited Māori language and cultural input despite the participants being Māori. [45]

On 8 August 2025, Oranga Tamariki acknowledged that seven out of the ten participants in the pilot boot camp had reoffended. In response, the Minister for Children Chhour said that "zero re-offending was never going to be realistic" but claimed that "we have seen marked improvements in these young people's behaviour, attitudes to offending, and activities." By contrast, Labour's children spokesperson Prime described the boot camp programme as a complete failure and called for the Government to scrap its proposed boot camp legislation. [46]

Military-style Academies, 2025–present

On 31 January 2025, Save the Children New Zealand launched a 'Boot the Bill' campaign to oppose the Government's legislation establishing the legal framework for youth offender boot camps. [47]

On 22 May 2025, the 2025 New Zealand budget allocated NZ$33 million to establishing youth boot camps and another $16 million to setting up the Youth Serious Offender category, which provides the framework for sending serious youth offenders to boot camps. [8] In response, Aaron Hendry, the co-founder of youth development organisation "Kick Back", criticised the Government's boot camp funding decision, which he described as "child prisons." He argued that the money could be better spent on addressing child and youth homelessness. [48]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Daniels, Chelsea (9 October 2023). "Election 2023: A political history of boot camps; National and Labour's approach to 'corrective training'". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Boot camps for teen crims in Nats' plan". The Dominion Post . 29 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2011– via Stuff.
  3. 1 2 Kirk, Stacey (13 August 2017). "Special bootcamp for youth offenders at Waiouru army camp, under National". Stuff . Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Poll: Majority support boot camps for serious youth offenders". 1News . TVNZ. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  5. 1 2 Satherley, Dan (13 August 2017). "Boot camps don't work - Gareth Morgan, crime expert". Newshub . Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  6. ↑ Gluckman, Peter (12 June 2018). It's never too early, never too late: A discussion paper on preventing youth offending in New Zealand (PDF) (Report). Auckland: Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 Desmarais, Felix (5 March 2024). "'Reckless, heinous and lazy': Greens on Govt's military-style bootcamps". 1News . Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  8. 1 2 Ensor, Jamie (22 May 2025). "Budget 2025: The 10 things you need to know". SunLive. Sun Media. Archived from the original on 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  9. ↑ Maxwell, Gabrielle (1 August 2017). "Youth offenders – Treatment of young offenders, 1840 to 1980s". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Goff, Phil (20 July 2005). "Boot camp tried and failed". Beehive.govt.nz. New Zealand Government . Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  11. ↑ "Boot Camps no more than "Correctional Quackery" - Rethinking Crime and Punishment press release". Scoop . 17 February 2009. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  12. ↑ de Silva, Tommy (9 August 2023). "The torture at Whakapakari". The Spinoff . Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Boot Camp: Te Whakapakari Youth Programme". Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  14. 1 2 Maxwell, Gabrielle (1 August 2017). "Youth offenders - Programmes for young offenders". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 Briefing: Advice on the Introduction of Military Academies (PDF) (Report). Oranga Tamariki. 19 December 2023. B-0029. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 July 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 "Boot camps tried and rejected - youth advocates". Radio New Zealand. 13 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Half of boot camp youths continue to offend - report". The New Zealand Herald . New Zealand Press Association. 13 December 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  18. ↑ Burr, Lloyd (17 November 2022). "Boot Camp déjà vu will get ticks for blue". Today FM . Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  19. ↑ Sainsbury, Mark (14 August 2017). "Mark Sainsbury: National's bootcamp policy is for voters, not offenders". Newshub . Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  20. ↑ Jones, Nicholas (14 August 2017). "Maori Party: National's boot camp plan an 'attack on Maori and Pasifika children'". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  21. ↑ Young, Audrey (14 August 2017). "Act's David Seymour calls out National's law and order policy". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  22. ↑ Palmer, Russell (17 November 2022). "Youth crime boot camps: National proposes military academies, electronic monitoring". Radio New Zealand . Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  23. ↑ Franke-Bowell, Jonah (17 November 2022). "National would bring back military boot camps for young offenders". Stuff . Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  24. ↑ Ensor, Jamie (18 November 2022). "Jacinda Ardern slaps down National's boot camp policy, is confused by Christopher Luxon's 'reprogrammed' remark". Newshub . Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  25. ↑ NZ Psychological Society (18 November 2022). "Psychologists Condemn Un-informed And Ineffective 'Boot Camp' Policy". Scoop. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022.
  26. ↑ Harman, Richard (17 November 2022). "National ignores its own advice". Politik. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  27. ↑ Smith, Anneke (18 November 2022). "Youth workers challenge National's proposal to send teen offenders to boot camps". Radio New Zealand . Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  28. ↑ Weekes, John (21 August 2023). "Retail crime: Supermarket giant changing store design, getting staff new radios after assault 'tsunami'". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  29. ↑ "'Military academy' for youth offenders to be trialled from mid-2024". 1News . TVNZ. 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  30. ↑ "Government confirms plans for youth boot camps". Newshub . 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  31. ↑ Kieran Komene (9 April 2024). Kea Kids News: Can bootcamps keep kids out of jail? We find out!. Kea Kids News via The New Zealand Herald. Event occurs at 4:32 minutes. Archived from the original (Video) on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  32. ↑ Woodham, Kerre (6 March 2024). "Kerre Woodham: The bootcamp is worth a try, isn't it?". Newstalk ZB . Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  33. ↑ "Boot camps for young offenders are expensive and do not work, critics say". Radio New Zealand . 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 6 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  34. ↑ "Minister 'completely disagrees' with boot camp critics". Radio New Zealand . 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  35. ↑ Pennington, Phil (13 June 2024). "Boot camps to start next month, detention to be shorter than expected". RNZ . Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  36. ↑ Hanly, Lilian; Huston, Jemima (4 July 2024). "New boot camp pilot programme still in design phase, set to start end of July". RNZ . Archived from the original on 5 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  37. ↑ McConnell, Glenn (11 November 2024). "'Workforce crisis': The real reasons the Defence Force didn't want to run boot camps". Stuff . Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  38. ↑ Perese, Daniel (14 August 2024). "Rangatahi quits bootcamp pilot, sent to another youth facility". Te Ao Māori News . Whakaata Māori. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  39. ↑ Anderson, Ryan (3 September 2024). "Martial arts and yoga: Details revealed of life inside youth military boot camp". Stuff . Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  40. ↑ Smith, Anneke (5 November 2024). "Staff will use force in youth boot camps as 'a last resort', Prime Minister says". RNZ . Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  41. ↑ "Youth on boot camp pilot re-offended five weeks after release". RNZ . 21 November 2024. Archived from the original on 25 November 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  42. ↑ "Bootcamp participant dies after Waikato road accident as police search for another after absconding". The New Zealand Herald . 5 December 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  43. ↑ Moir, Jo; Smith, Anneke (6 December 2024). "Watch: Second boot camp youth goes missing". RNZ . Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  44. ↑ Palmer, Russell (8 December 2024). "Minister 'relieved' boot camp participants found, despite alleged car theft". RNZ . Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  45. ↑ Pennington, Phil (15 February 2025). "First official evaluation from government's youth bootcamp revealed". Radio New Zealand . Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  46. ↑ Gabel, Julia; Ensor, Jamie (8 August 2025). "Military style bootcamps: Seven of 10 participants reoffended but official says there were 'successes'". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  47. ↑ Gordon, Pretoria (1 February 2025). "'Boot the Bill': Plea for government to put a stop to military-style camps". Radio New Zealand . Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  48. ↑ "Boot camps are 'child prisons' says Kick Back's Aaron Hendry". Radio New Zealand . 26 May 2025. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
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