The Construction of the Indigenous Incarcerated Body: Māori and the School to Prison Pipeline

This project focuses on the construction of the School to Prison Pipeline for Māori.

Research team

Associate Professor Leonie Pihama
AProf Leonie Pihama
Brendan Hokowhitu
Prof Brendan Hokowhitu

Statistics highlight that within Aotearoa there is an over-representation of Māori with the prison population. Research related to the Justice system indicates that disparities exist in the relation to Māori, including higher arrest rates, greater likelihood of conviction and longer sentencing imposed.

It has been argued that these discrepancies are a consequence of wider societal inequities, including the educational underachievement of Māori, which creates a context of material poverty and cultural disconnection that contribute to Māori being more likely to engage in activities that lead to incarceration. Key outcomes for this project are high quality interdisciplinary research publications between Canada, Australia and Aotearoa, and building upon enduring strategic partnerships with leading research organisations.