Currently, 60% of people released from prison will reoffend within two years of release.
Our aim is to pave the way for a better life beyond the prison gate, with the ultimate goal of reducing reoffending rates in Aotearoa New Zealand. Additionally, we’re creating an opportunity for everyday people to actively contribute to this solution by becoming volunteer mentors.
Our Programme
Our unique programme provides a mentoring blueprint structured around actionable modules. It starts with an initial two day training workshop for the mentors which includes an overview of the programme. The mentor and mentee will then be matched pre-release and begin the journey in prison together.
This journey starts with monthly meetings in prison working with the programme to be prepared for release and developing an action plan. Post-release there will be regular meetings at a mutually convenient public location (such as library/café) which will continue for a 12-month period. The mentor will support the execution of the action plan and work with the mentee through the guided programme.
Mentor Programme Pilot
Momentum ran its first pilot of the Mentor Programme between 2023 and 2025. Fifteen people in prison at Auckland South Men’s Prison (Kohuora) completed the 8-day Life101 programme, and ten were then matched with volunteer mentors from the community.
We advertised for mentors, carried out vetting and interviews, and selected ten volunteers who completed a two-day training weekend before being matched with their mentee inside the prison.
The programme had a clear and positive impact on both mentees and mentors, and it was powerful to see the pilot come together. We learnt a great deal through this first pilot, and there are things we—and the prison—would approach differently next time.
We’re now planning a second pilot. It will look a little different but will stay focused on supporting people in prison through the pre- and post-release transition period. We’re now planning a second pilot. It will look a little different but will stay focused on supporting people through the pre- and post-release transition period.
Our goal remains the same: equipping people with the practical tools and confidence to manage everyday life, make better decisions, and create a positive future for themselves and their whānau as they reintegrate into their communities.