Transcript
JUSTICE MATA KELI TUATAGALOA - It's about harm reduction. If we reduce the use of alcohol that's related to offending, then society is safe.
KATHRYN RYAN - And when it looks at trying to divert people from what is causing them problems, what are the kinds of mechanisms it's using, for example I imagine family and support groups, are they prominent in the system?
MKT - Yes we draw in the family. You know the whole thing about Samoan life is about family, culture and religion and those three things are being drawn in. Also because the alcohol and drugs is a social problem, so we need to engage the community, so by engaging the community before we accept anybody into the alcohol and drugs court, we hold a family group conference and that will enable the treatment team or the team to also vet the environment, find out that the environment is not high risk for the participant to live in. We also engage what we call community justice supervisors who are usually church ministers, village mayors or family matais or village women representatives and those who help monitor these alcohol drug participants, while living in the community and participating in its programmes.
KR - It's an extraordinary level of co-operation between the court and community isn't it? And it's quite formal in some ways. They almost become another branch of the system, don't they as you say the ministers or the mayor or the family or the women's groups, almost become part of the rehabilitation?
MKT - Yes, we have to draw them in. That's the whole title of my presentation, it takes a village to raise a child. This child was brought up in the village. They help nurture the child. Any problems or offending by this child, it's because what's living in the village or in the family communities out in the villages.
KR - What are the aspects of fa'a Samoa, of culture essentially, which are drawn on to help combat the drug and alcohol problems? The involvement of all these people is one thing, but practically what are some of the aspects of fa'a Samoa that are engaged to give effect to that?
MKT - Well we seek the assistance of the ali'i faipule out in the villages or the village matais. They are aware of the participant and the court conditions imposed on this participant living out in the village. They will help support this participant and making sure that this participant will not be seen around anywhere alcohol is consumed. He's also been drawn into, I suppose what you call the untitled men's activities, where the village matais will keep an eye on those untitled men, so all those will help keep this person away from using alcohol and/or drugs whilst in the programme. Drugs is a big no no out in the village anyway.
