Crime Prevention Unit

The Priority Offenders Initiative

• What is the Priority Offenders Initiative?
• What is the definition of a Priority Offender?
• How will the Priority Offenders Initiative work?
• Is the Priority Offenders Initiative effective?
• The Priority Offenders Initiative Practice Guide
• Who Can I contact about the Priority Offenders Initiative?
• Useful Documents and Links

What is the Priority Offenders Initiative?

Nationally, there are a small group of offenders who are committing a disproportionate amount of crime in their communities. The offending committed by this group results in large social and financial costs to themselves, their families, communities and the tax payer. These offenders are referred to as 'priority offenders'.

International evidence has demonstrated that addressing the rehabilitative and social needs of priority offenders in a targeted and co-ordinated way can reduce re-offending rates. The Priority Offenders Initiative (POI) aims to do this by working collaboratively with government and non-government agencies to address the needs of these offenders. POI provides an opportunity to alter the life course of long term prolific offenders and impact positively on them, their families or whānau, and the communities in which they live.

In August 2007, Cabinet directed that a three year POI be established in a small number of locations nationwide. Over the three year period POI will be monitored and evaluated to assess its long term viability. The initiative is jointly led by the Ministry of Justice and the New Zealand Police and involves commitment and action from a range of other justice and social sector agencies.

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What is the definition of a Priority Offender?

POI defines a priority offender as an individual aged 17 years and over who frequently comes to the attention of the criminal justice system. Priority offenders are likely to have a lengthy offending history and be regularly committing more serious offences. The 17 year age baseline has been selected as this is the age at which an offender will first appear in the adult jurisdiction of the criminal justice system.

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How will the Priority Offenders Initiative work?

The POI Process

POI involves collaborative working practices between relevant agencies. The core participating agencies are New Zealand Police, Department of Corrections, the Ministries of Education, Health and Social Development (Work and Income and Child Youth and Family) and the New Zealand Housing Corporation.

Each POI location has developed a multi-agency group consisting of representatives from these core agencies. The multi-agency groups will work together to identify the priority offenders in their communities. This group will then take a collaborative case management approach to assist participants address the factors in their lives that increase their risk of offending.

Assistance will also be offered to the families of participants. This recognises the importance of family in supporting the offender to break the cycle of offending and may also help address the inter-generational effects of crime on offenders' families.

The Objectives of POI

The POI has the following objectives (in order of priority):

1. reducing the rate of offending by identified individuals
2. improving social outcomes for the offenders and their families
3. protecting the community
4. reducing the costs associated with the offending
5. improving inter-agency collaboration.

You can find further details on how POI will work in the Priority Offenders Initiative Practice Guide

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Is the Priority Offenders Initiative effective?

POI will be trialled for a period of three years (2008 – 2010). During this time POI will be monitored and evaluated to assess its effectiveness. While we do not yet know the extent to which POI will be successful in the New Zealand context, a similar initiative in the UK has been operating with considerable success for a number of years. Information about the UK initiative can be found in the Useful Documents and Links section

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The Priority Offenders Initiative Practice Guide

A practice guide has been developed to assist sites in implementing POI. This guide outlines the logic behind POI and the POI process, as well as providing the necessary templates and an information sharing protocol.

The practice guide is a working document. This means that it will be continually reviewed and updated as the initiative progresses. Updates will be posted on the website. The current version of the Practice Guide is dated August 2008.

Priority Offenders Initiative Practice Guide

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Who can I contact about the Priority Offenders Initiative?

Anita Ciesionik-Jones
Policy Adviser
Crime Prevention Unit
Ministry of Justice


(04) 496 3363

anita.ciesionik-jones@justice.govt.nz

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Useful Documents and Links

A synthesis of literature was completed by the Ministry of Justice Research and Evaluation Team. This synthesis of literature was completed to inform the development of POI in New Zealand
Informing the development of the Priority Offenders Initiative in NZ: A synthesis of relevant literature

POI is loosely based on the United Kingdom's Prolific and Other Priority Offenders Initiative (PPO). Information about PPO can be found on the following website:
http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/ppo/ppominisite01.htm

The Home Office evaluations of the UK PPO Initiative can be found on the following websites:

An impact assessment of the Prolific and Other Priority Offenders Programme
http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/ppo/rdsolr0807.pdf

The National PPO Evaluation – Research to Inform and Guide Practice
http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/ppo/rdsolr0907.pdf