Maori Justice: Keisha's Story

By Sarah Macdonald Reporting from New Zealand for Correspondent

New Zealand's criminal justice system is in crisis.

Statistics show 86% of those released from prison, will re-offend within five years.

In Sarah Macdonald's film, she witnesses a traditional Maori "restorative" justice scheme being introduced to reverse the trend.

Currently the system does not call offenders to account for their actions or ask them to acknowledge the pain they may have caused others.

But Maori justice insists on it.

Sarah follows Keisha who assaulted a teenage girl, but instead of going to court, her punishment's being decided around a table by her community.

New Zealand's social experiment with kids and crime has now been taken up by Britain - but does it work?

Maori Justice: Keisha's Story: Sunday 27 October 2002 on BBC Two at 1915 BST

Reporter: Sarah Macdonald
Editor: Karen O'Connor
Deputy Editor: David Belton
Online Producer: Andrew Jeffrey