New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

William Boyd MOKARAKA

Hearing: 2 May 2017 At [Withheld]

Members of the Board:

• Hon. M A Frater (Panel Convenor)
• Assoc. Prof. P Brinded
• Ms T Williams-Blyth

Counsel:

• [Withheld]

In attendance:

• [Withheld]

Support Persons:

[Withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. 45 year old William Boyd Mokaraka is serving a sentence of preventive detention imposed in 1999 after a series of violent and sexual offending against complete strangers.

2. The last Board, on 7 November 2016, reserved its decision, ultimately deciding to decline release, primarily because of concerns about the appropriateness of the accommodation available for Mr Mokaraka.

3. Since then Mr Mokaraka has followed a pattern, evident before, of taking one step forward and two back.

4. He resumed Release to Work at [Withheld]  on 9 January but, reportedly “due to a multitude of concerns relating to behaviour management” and after two multidisciplinary meetings, Mr Mokaraka was stood down until further notice.  The specific grounds for this related to two incidents where he returned to prison wearing part of [Withheld] uniform.

5. Mr Mokaraka is currently unemployed within the residences and is yet to restart individual psychological treatment.

6. He did not seek parole.  Rather he sought a stand down for two months to allow him, [Withheld], and his support network chairman the opportunity to have various addresses, including [Withheld], canvassed by Probation and, hopefully, approved, and also to allow time for further work on his safety plan.

7. Mr Mokaraka has continued to be supported by [Withheld].  He was present today and informed us that the Foundation have recently secured a residence which they propose making available for a small number (up to three) of offenders subject to indeterminate sentences.  He said that individual proposals would be crafted for each offender to address their specific needs and appropriate support people would be brought in.  Although one or more representatives of Corrections have visited the proposed property, it seems that the property itself and the proposal generally has yet to be endorsed by Community Probation. Obviously it needs to be before the Board can approve it for release purposes.  Mr Mokaraka and his supporters also need to decide where their focus will lie.

8. We were pleased to hear from Mr Mokaraka’s supervisor about the way in which he responded to the disappointing news’ - first in relation to the last decision of the Board and secondly the decision to call him back from Release to Work.  She said that these adverse decisions have not stopped him trying to go down the right path.  The proposed further psychological treatment sessions will help him in that.

9. Today parole is declined.

10. Mr Mokaraka’s next hearing will be in six months time - during the week beginning 6 November and by the end of that month, at the latest.  We think it will take all this time for the anticipated work and the revised release plan to be completed.

11. We support Mr Mokaraka engaging in all available reintegrative activities in the meantime including regular whanau hui so that his supporters are actively engaged in creating his release and relapse prevention plan.

Hon. M A Frater
Panel Convenor