Services

PARS - People At Risk Solutions has a long history (117 years) of providing services to prisoners, released prisoners, and their families/whanau. PARS is informed and underpinned by kaupapa Maori and provides culturally appropriate support for all clients. A range of specialist services are delivered at a critical time to break down the barriers to living a positive, productive and crime-free lifestyle. The PARS team are effective navigators to a place of safety and inclusiveness. The staff build capability and sense of responsibility in each client to make achievable changes for a better future. Our services include:

 Community Mentoring Programme

Some people have a support network and the required social skills to reintegrate into the community following release, yet for others it can seem daunting. The Community Mentoring programme is all about helping released prisoners readjust to life outside of prison. It offers one-one-one support, by specially trained volunteers, to help establish support networks, promote healthy decision-making, enhance social skills and encourage released prisoners to navigate their lives independently.

Pasifika Mentoring Programme

In the same way that prisoners are best off if supported by people that care and want the best for them upon release, it can also be beneficial to be immersed in a familiar cultural environment. The Pasifika Mentoring programme enables just that - with life skills, social skills and connection with the community facilitated in a culturally sensitive way.

National Child Travel Fund 

At PARS, we recognise that families/whanau play an important part in a prisoner's re-integration into their community. When a loved one is imprisoned, it can put extra stresses, and extra costs, on families. With little other help available, the reality is that it may not be viable to visit often. PARS provide a travel subsidy to help encourage strong family relationships. PARS is also the National Administrator of the Child Travel Fund on behalf of the Prisoners Aid & Rehabilitation Societies through out New Zealand and the Salvation Army reintegration service.  

Whanau Visits

For families/whanau of prisoners, there is often little support and many struggle to visit loved ones as often as they would like. At PARS, we believe continued whanau relationships are vital to wellbeing and to positive re-integration following release. To support this, we have a team who volunteer their time to bring whanau to visit prisoners. 

Reintegration Support for Long Servers (RSLS) and Emergency Accommodation. 

The main focus of this service is to support high-risk, high-need long serving prisoners through their transitioninto the community to enable them to develop skills and strategies to lead independent and productive lives. 

Supported accommodation

It can be daunting to face release from prison with nowhere else to go. Recognising the need for support to break the cycle of reoffending, PARS has been providing supported accommodation in Auckland for over a decade, with safe, self-care environments and theurpeutic community living immediately following release and support to then help released prisoners find independent, long-term solutions. 

 

Emergency accommodation

Long term sustainable accommodation is a challenge for many .  This service supports high-risk and / or high-need community offenders through their transition to sustainable accommodation by meeting their immediate accommodation needs.