THE INAUGURAL BISHOP SELWYN EVENT
SPEAKERS' BIOS
Kris Gledhill was a barrister for many years in London, where he came to specialise in the law relating to detention, both of prisoners and those under mental health legislation. He moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2006 and is now an academic lawyer based in Auckland. His recent publications include Defending Mentally Disordered Offenders (Legal Action Group, London, 2012) and New Zealand’s Mental Health Act in Practice (VUP, Wellington, 2013, co-edited with John Dawson). He is the editor of the Prison Law Reports (Southside Legal Publishing, London).
Major Sue Hay has worked for The Salvation Army for 25 years, initially as a parish minister, followed by two years as a regional Youth Officer. For 12 years Sue was part of The Salvation Army Addiction work in Christchurch, beginning as chaplain, then training as an addictions caseworker, before becoming Director just before the 2011 earthquakes. For the next three years Sue led the service through a period of constant change as service delivery adapted to meet changing needs within the city. For the last two years Sue has been part of The Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit alongside Major Campbell Roberts.
Shirley Johnson worked in management roles in NZ Youth Justice Residences for a decade from 1995 to 2005, leading change by establishing more respectful therapeutic environments. Her creativity and belief in the potential of every young person carved out new paradigms of possibilities as to what could be achieved within a custodial environment. She has a long history of senior management and governance roles in a wide range of sectors, with a track record of leadership and success in system change initiatives. Her passion for social equity and human rights is reflected in all her work. She now works at COMET Auckland, an education trust that drives systems change to make education and skills more effective and equitable across Auckland. She believes that keeping young people at school is one of the most powerful influences to keeping young people out of court.
Professor Tracey McIntosh (Tūhoe) is an Associate Professor and teaches into the sociology and criminology programme at the University of Auckland. She is the current Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga New Zealand's Māori Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) funded by the Tertiary Education Commission. In 2012 she was the co-chair of the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty. She sits on a number of governance boards particularly in the area of social harm reduction including the Robson Hanan Trust: Rethinking Crime and Punishment and Te Waka Moemoea: Being the Change Trust and the Youth Crime Action Plan Advisory Group. Tracey is the current joint editor of AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples alongside Professor Michael Walker. Her recent research focuses on incarceration (particularly of indigenous peoples and Māori women), inequality, poverty and justice.
Alice Mills is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. Prior to her arrival in New Zealand in 2011, she worked at the Universities of Southampton and Cardiff and the Open University in the UK. During her time at Southampton University, she led a two-year project on the role of the third sector in criminal justice as part of the Third Sector Research Centre, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Office for Civil Society and Barrow Cadbury Trust. She has recently replicated part of this study in a small project examining relations between Non-Government Organisations and the state in criminal justice in New Zealand. Her current research interests including problem-solving and indigenous courts, gender and criminal justice and family violence. She has recently led a project examining the housing needs of vulnerable groups in New Zealand and has a particular interest in housing for ex-prisoners. In the UK she volunteered for the Samaritans for eight years and ran peer-listener schemes in twelve prisons in the south of England.
Karen Morrison-Hume
'I have been leading the work of Anglican Action in the Waikato for almost 20 years. The pursuit of “justice through service” has been the call that has impelled me to seek the paths of shared liberation and hope for the men, women, children and young people that have the courage to come through our doors. Through the stories, conversations, and critical inquiry of our social systems and structures, we continue to challenge and construct alternatives that might enhance our common humanity. This is particularly focussed in our work with men making the significant transition from prison back to community. It is an immense privilege to offer the welcome to the homecomers.'
Dr Anne Opie, author and independent qualitative researcher
Anne trained as a social worker in Scotland and England and worked in that capacity in London, Australia and New Zealand before moving into a research career. She has also worked in government agencies, including the Department of Corrections, as a contract researcher. Previous books and related publications reported on Anne's research into caregiving, social work practice and multi-disciplinary teams in the health system.
Her most recent book, From Outlaw to Citizen. Making the Transition from Prison in New Zealand (2012, Dunmore Publishing) reports on her longitudinal study of 13 recently released ex-prisoners. It highlights how a successful transition from prison involves personal resolve and, critically, the nature of penal regimes and the societal climate, shaping and shaped by governments' social, economic and criminal justice legislative programmes. Her most recent essay, Developing the Correctional System for the 21st Century in New Zealand, was released in 2014.
Ian Sinclair
In the mid-2000s, Ian pleaded guilty to charges of sexual offending against a child. He served three years before being paroled. Prior to offending he had served the community professionally. Recognising that his offending was also against society, his endeavour now is to discharge that debt by serving the public interest to the best of his ability. It is in that spirit that he spoke at the forum. He says, 'Much needs to be done to improve our penal system and community attitudes towards rehabilitation. It is an honour for me to assist by participating in this inaugural Bishop Selwyn forum.’
Fa’afete Taito
‘Adopted at birth my upbringing with my adopted father was centered around harsh discipline underpinned by strict religious guidance. Being Samoan these values are entrenched within our culture. I resisted these values by running away from home till I was made a ward of the State by the time I was 14. Growing up in Grey Lynn / Ponsonby I became a member of a gang by the time I was 16. For the next 14 years I would remain in the gang till I left and continued my life as a career criminal. Having served over 14 years prison time I changed direction of my life 6 years ago. I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree double majoring in Sociology and Māori.’
Dr Rawiri Waretini-Karena has a PhD in philosophy of indigenous studies, a M.A. in commercial music, and a Bachelor of Applied Social Science in Māori counselling. He has taught for eleven years at the Waikato Institute of Technology and is currently teaching in courses on Māori and general stream counselling, social work, social services and mental health. In 2015 Dr Rawiri Waretini-Karena was invited to be an Adjunct Professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi on the Masters and Doctoral programmes. He is a branch Chairman for Te Whariki Tautoko Māori counselling and social services governing body ki Kirikiriroa, and a board member of the Ngarimu VC 28th Māori Battalion Alumni.