New youth justice facility opens in South Auckland

A new youth justice facility was opened in South Auckland on Monday morning, with a promise to make a significant difference within a year, RNZ reports. The Māori-based service is at Oranga Tamariki’s existing care and protection facility for 10- to 16-year-olds called Whakatakapokai, in the South Auckland suburb of Weymouth. It aims to give teens with difficult upbringings a chance at turning their lives around before they re-offend. Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis said Whakatakapokai is a place the local community can be proud of. “In a year’s time, I hope I can be back here with kaimahi and the community and we can all be humbled by the difference that Whakatakapokai has made in the lives of young people,” he said.