Maranga and Mikaela 

Mikaela and Maranga, pictured with matua Hata, who works for Te Rūnanganu o Te Āti Awa ki te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui Inc

Maranga (Senior Adviser Kaupapa Māori) remembers the day that she learnt that Mikaela had got an internship at Corrections, within her own team at the time (a national office team advising on Case Management and Probation).

“I remember the hiring manager called and asked if I knew her [because we share the same last name]. And I was like yes, that’s my niece! And she said that she’d just taken Mikaela on as an intern.”

The internship was Mikaela’s first job after university, so she was naturally nervous. She appreciated being able to talk to Maranga and get first hand advice on what working for Corrections was like.

“At the time I didn’t know very much about the case management and probation team, so I reached out to my Aunty and I felt like she just guided me through it - it was really nice to have that whānau support and connection.”

The main focus of Mikaela’s internship was research based on what Corrections does when people come into custody and they are the main or sole carers of tamariki in the community.

“It was really interesting. I got to go into the prison space, the court, meet with providers. It really opened my eyes to the different services out there.”

During her internship, Maranga and Mikaela made sure to stay connected.

“I kept up with the mahi that she was doing, because I really was very interested in what she was working on. And we touched base to see how she was finding the role and working at Corrections.

When she produced her final presentation for the internship, I was so proud.”

After her internship, Mikaela moved into the Bail Support space, working as a Bail Support Officer. While Maranga and Mikaela are now working in different areas, the support is still always there if the other needs it.

For example, Maranga’s role as Senior Adviser Kaupapa Māori involves working closely with iwi. “In my team, I recognised that we need to connect with our local iwi more,” Mikaela says.

 So, I reached out to my aunty and she helped to direct me to the right people to connect with.”

Similarly, Maranga was in a hui recently where she realised that Mikaela’s research was directly relevant and useful to what was being discussed.

The whānau connections don’t stop with the two of them, with a Probation Officer and Principal Case Manager also in the family. Having that support and connection within the organisation has been invaluable and both Maranga and Mikaela say it’s been truly special to be part of each other’s career journeys.

“I’ve loved seeing Mikaela grow and flourish and make connections.”

 Jo, Jonty, Zhivanna & Jake 

When Jonty was at a crossroads point considering what to do with his career, he did what many of us do - talked to his family.

In Jonty’s case that family included his sister Zhivanna (a Practice Leader in the probation space) and brother-in-law Jake (also working in probation, managing a different service centre).

“What was clear with Jonty was that he really wanted to do a role where he could help people. And we thought, why don’t you give Corrections a go? And pointed him in the direction of the Department”, says Zhivanna.

It was those discussions that inspired Jonty to apply for a role as a Corrections Officer.

“I think the real selling point was the idea of being able to try and put your hat in to help people. I worked in kitchens for a while and a lot of what I really enjoyed about that was helping people upskill themselves. And so, when that started slowing down in that job, I thought well these guys are saying I could potentially help people. I mean in prison not everybody wants to try and change or they're not at that stage where they’re ready to. But when you do get a success story, it's really nice.”

With his wife Jo working as a Clinical Team Lead, four in their family work for Corrections, and say that there are benefits to them all working together.

“It’s been quite nice to have chats over dinner and know that you guys know what we’re talking about,” says Jo. “Also, our areas are quite different, which has helped to gain a better understanding of the different parts of the organisation.”

Zhivanna agrees, saying that it’s “networking without needing to network. If we have a question about the custodial side, we can pick up the phone and ask so easily - and vice versa.”

And the challenges?

The group say they need to watch how much they talk about work - especially when they are finished for the day - to help ensure that they maintain that work life balance.

“Also, if I bring baking into the office, I can’t convince people it’s mine, as Zhivanna will rat me out”, Jake jokes.

Lucy and Louise 

Case Manager Lucy and Security Manager Louise are another family pairing at Corrections, with grand-daughter Lucy joining the team six years ago.

At the time, Louise had been working for Corrections for over 20 years and was working as a Residential Manager. Louise herself had grown up with Corrections workers, describing it as being “in her blood.” Her father had worked as a Corrections Officer back when Corrections Officers lived in a village inside the prison, so she had spent her teenage years with custodial staff and their families.

When Lucy was weighing up what she wanted to do after High School, Louise suggested she consider a career at Corrections.

“That led to me applying for an Administration role, then later being able to progress into a Case Management role.

It definitely came in handy having someone with so much experience within the Department to talk to around different roles, and career pathways.”

When Lucy they first started, they were at the same site so their paths would cross quite a bit. Louise says it was nice to catch up during the day and see Lucy grow in her career. Watching Lucy progress to a case manager role was a particular highlight.

“That was a very proud moment for me as Lucy’s granny.”

Lucy says that while they work in different sites now, she appreciates the ongoing support Louise provides.

“Corrections is quite a niche environment to work in, so having family work in that same environment has been really valuable. I am forever grateful for the ongoing support that she has provided me since starting.

Being able to say I’ve worked with Granny is pretty cool, I am sure there wouldn’t be many people who would be able to say that!”

The pair are looking forward to spending Christmas breakfast and lunch together, along with the rest of the family.