Most of us want to live in a society where we can all be well – as individuals, as whānau, and as communities: a society where our Government and its agencies work to keep us safe and protected.
However, our society and successive governments haven’t delivered on this promise for everyone. One of the most obvious examples of this is how Māori have been imprisoned on a mass scale, in Aotearoa New Zealand – a legacy of colonisation, coloniality, white supremacy, racism, and discrimination.
TIAKI, which means to care, is a Kaupapa Māori rangahau (research) project focused on the health and wellbeing of Māori who enter and leave prisons.
And this episode of the podcast introduces our rangahau and some of the thinking behind it.
Listen to episode 1
This episode includes:
An introduction of the research team
A summary of our approach to this Kaupapa Māori rangahau project
Some of the background to what we already know about prisons in Aotearoa New Zealand and their harms
Explanations behind some of the terms we use throughout our rangahau (and in this podcast series)
Kōrero with experts from Aotearoa: Professor Tracey McIntosh, Professor Carwyn Jones and Associate Professor Donna Cormack
Interviews with Professor Kathryn Gilbey from the University of Queensland in so called Australia and Professor Marshall Chin from the University of Chicago to explore the similar patterns in racial discrimination and imprisonment that they see where they live and work.
The introductory zine for this podcast summarises this episode and is a useful resource for anyone new to thinking about the role of prisons and abolition in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This episode was hosted by Associate Professor Dr Paula Toko King and Gabrielle Baker and features segments from our interviews with Cheryl Davies, Associate Professor Dr Ruth Cunningham, Associate Professor Dr Donna Cormack, Professor Tracey McIntosh, Professor Carwyn Jones, Professor Kathryn Gilbey and Professor Marshall Chin.
The podcast was recorded at Tīhei Rangatahi, Wainuiomata. Snow Chase was our sound tech.
The podcast music – ‘He kōrero nui tō ngākau’/Your heart has an important story’ was composed by Paula Toko King and Nona King. Taonga puoro, piano soundboard, and piano performed by Paula Toko King and Nona King. Additional bird calls by korimako and pīwakawaka. The music was also recorded by Snow Chase.
Cunningham, R., King, P. T., Telfer, K., Crengle, S., Carr, J., Stanley, J., Gibb, S., & Robson, B. (2022). Mortality after release from incarceration in New Zealand by gender: A national record linkage study. SSM – Population Health, 20, 101274. Link here
Gilmore, R. W. (2018). Making abolition geography in California's Central Valley. The Funambulist. Link here
Jackson, M. (1988). The Māori and the criminal justice system: A new perspective: He whaipaanga hou part 2. Department of Justice. Link here
King, P. T., Petrović-van der Deen, F. S., McLeod, M., Harris, R., Davies, C., Cormack, D., Ingham, T., Jones, B., Robson, B., Paki Paki, N., Baker, G., Tuari-Toma, B., Stairmand, J., Cole, M., Pehi, T., Carr, J., Kemp, C., Chin, M. H., & Cunningham, R. (2025). The undercounting of Indigenous Māori imprisoned by the New Zealand carceral state: A national record study. Health & Justice, 13, 48. Link here
King, P. T., Petrović-van der Deen, F. S., Davies, C., Robson, B., Crengle, S., Baker, G., Carr, J., Paki Paki, N., Pehi, T., Cole, M., Jones, B., Ingham, T., Stairmand, J., Tuari-Toma, B., Kemp, C., Chin, M. H., & Cunningham, R. (2025). Health in justice or health injustice? Indigenous Māori experiences of primary care following release from New Zealand prisons: A national record study. Social Science & Medicine, 384, 118543. Link here
King, P. T., Paki Paki, N., Cormack, D., Davies, C., Timutimu, R., Baker, G., Ingham, T., Jones, B., Cole, M., & Kemp, C. (2026). Poipoia Te Kākano Kia Puāwai: The operationalisation of Māori Data Sovereignty in Aotearoa—A scoping literature review. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 56, e70029. Link here.
Ministry of Justice. (2026). Reducing the disproportionality of Māori in the criminal justice system: Wāhine Māori (Sector Insights). New Zealand Government. Link here
Te Ohu Whakatika. (2019). Ināia Tonu Nei: Hui Māori report. New Zealand Ministry of Justice. Link here
Te Uepū Hāpai i Te Ora – Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group. (2020). Turuki! Turuki! Move together! Transforming our criminal justice system: The second report of Te Uepū Hāpai i Te Ora Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group. New Zealand Government. Link here
