It won’t print money.

Liam Russell writes about little-known public sector jobs – highlighting their responsibilities, importance, and the people behind the mahi. In this issue, he writes about Bail Support Officers (BSOs) and their essential role in helping to improve outcomes in the criminal justice system.

Imagine, just for a moment, being plucked from your day-to-day life with little notice. Maybe you know this is because you have done something wrong or harmed another person, but maybe you don’t have any idea why this is happening. You are taken somewhere unfamiliar, and held there without any autonomy over basic decisions like when you will eat and where you will sleep. A month later, with little warning, you are dropped back into society with only the clothes on your back, whatever possessions you have in your pockets, and a list of complicated rules that if not followed, might result in you being plucked from the community once more. You’re given a name and number for somebody who is supposed to help you, but they have a hundred more people like you to look after and a long list of other jobs to do. What would you do if this happened to you?

Most of us would be disoriented at best. Many would struggle to get their bearings without the support of friends and whānau or without some money in the bank. If you had vanished from your day-to-day life for a month, your job is probably not still there waiting for you to return – and neither your housing.

This is an unfortunate reality for many New Zealanders who are held in custody. Even for people who know they have been violent or harmed others, the experience of disorientation and confusion arising from being arrested and being charged with a crime, and of not knowing who to turn to can bring out overwhelming feelings of helplessness and whakamā (shame). In many cases, the people who are in these situations are – through a combination of factors such as disadvantaged upbringings, low literacy or learning difficulties, acquired brain injuries, and mental illness – unable to understand what is happening or what is expected of them, and may not have people around them to help them back on their feet and follow the rules.

Bail Support Services is one of the initiatives helping to address these challenges and provides dedicated resources to help individuals access the tools and support they need to get back on their feet, and to understand and follow the conditions set by the courts while on bail. This is not to disregard the impact that offending has on victims and their whānau and communities, but without intervention, the repeating cycle of more charges and more victims will remain too common in our criminal justice system.

I spoke with Shalom Paulo Rimoni, a Senior BSO based in Tāmaki Makaurau, to hear more about this kaupapa and his daily mahi.

What is Bail Support Services?

Formed initially in Wellington as a pilot programme to reduce the high remand prison population (people in custody awaiting trial), the Bail Support Service now operates in ten locations across the motu with plans to expand nationwide by June 2024.

The service supports individuals to make bail accessible, understandable, and sustainable by connecting suitable individuals with potential addresses and helping them to apply for bail, and to access programmes and services in the community. In addition, the service helps individuals to understand what is expected of them while on bail and helps to prevent further offending or breaches of bail conditions. The service also allows the courts to have the best information about safe and timely bail proposals, and to have information on the individual’s performance while on bail when sentenced.

Bail Support Services is funded through the High Impact Innovation Programme (HIIP) – a joint venture led by Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections) and supported by other justice sector partners.

What does a Bail Support Officer do?

“It’s all about giving individuals the tools and support to succeed,” says Shalom.

Working alongside the defendants, their whānau, and supporters, Shalom and his colleagues collaborate with other government agencies and community organisations to support individuals to achieve and sustain bail. Their goals are to reduce time on remand, help individuals understand and comply with their bail conditions and improve sentencing outcomes.

“Bail Support Officers work really hard to help people safely achieve bail, understand their conditions, and connect with the support they need in the community. People enrolled in Bail Support Services are 32 percent less likely to be charged for offending while remanded on bail, compared to people not enrolled in Bail Support Services.”

Leigh Marsh, National Commissioner, Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections)

BSOs regularly visit prisons and work with newly remanded people and their lawyers to start the bail process. BSOs are also based at courts – meeting with newly arrested individuals at their first court hearing to gather information and help the judge to make a timely and informed decision on granting bail.

If bail is granted, the BSO will visit the individuals at their new address to give an induction, helping them to understand their bail conditions and connecting with whānau and other people living at the address to make a plan. This plan could include connecting the individual with programmes or services in the community.

It takes a person who can think on their feet to thrive in this dynamic and fast-paced role. Shalom, like many of his colleagues, comes from a social work background and is used to the pace. Others in his team have worked in probation, NGOs and community groups, and other justice sector agencies.

“It’s flat out, but I love that it keeps me on my toes,” says Shalom. “It’s great to be able to change up your work environment – from court, to prison visits, and out in the community.”

Offering timely support

“We try and help people achieve bail as soon as possible, and we aim to visit the proposed address and prepare a suitability report for the court on the same day,” says Shalom. “The quicker somebody can be granted bail, the less likely it is that they will lose their job or home due to imprisonment, reducing the chances of a longer-term impact on their life.”

The efforts by Shalom and his team are paying dividends. Before this pilot programme, it took on average 28 days for a defendant to be granted bail. Now, that figure is 21 days, reducing the number of case adjournments and pressure on the courts, as well as the number of nights behind bars for the 75 percent of prisoners who do eventually achieve bail.

Shalom and his team spend a lot of time speaking to defendants and their whānau, not only about how bail works and what the rules are, but about their personal circumstances, what assistance they need (like financial support, child visitation, or housing), and what they can do while on bail to help address some of the underlying issues behind their offending (i.e. drug and alcohol treatment programmes, counselling, or driving courses).

“We take a holistic and whānau-centric approach supporting people in our care,” says Shalom. “At the end of the day, they are humans too, and it can reframe their experience that Corrections is not just about keeping people in prisons, but about helping them with their rehabilitation.”

The work of BSOs like Shalom is integral to reducing reoffending. On top of Bail Support’s help, BSOs also provide reports to the court at sentencing, which detail the positive steps taken by defendants while on bail.

“We put a lot of effort into acknowledging when a defendant has taken steps to address the issues behind their offending. We want to make sure that their hard work is recognised by the court. It gives defendants a chance to prove to the judge, and to their community, that they are committed to doing better.

“Small changes are cumulative, and what might seem like a small change in our view may be life-changing for someone else.”

A review of the pilot revealed that people who participated in the Bail Support programme were less likely to receive a sentence of imprisonment and that the programme led to 377 fewer people behind bars in its first year of operation.

“The most crucial – and most enjoyable – part of my role is getting to meet defendants and their whānau out in their communities, being able to understand their situation, and help to give them an opportunity to change their path. Being able to open doors for better choices, especially for youth who are feeling lost or trying to understand the world, and to hear that you made a difference is so rewarding.”

Liam Russell is co-chair of the IPANZ New Professionals leadership team and a member of the IPANZ Board.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the author’s employer or any other organisation, group, or individual.