The Military-style Activity Camp (MAC) programme is a promising programme designed to provide intensive support to the most serious and persistent youth offenders each year in New Zealand
This snapshot outlines the findings from an evaluation of the Military-style Activity Camp (MAC) programme undertaken by the Knowledge & Insights Group, Ministry of Social Development. The MAC programme, introduced in October 2010 as part of the Government’s Fresh Start reforms, targets 40 of the most serious and persistent youth offenders in New Zealand each year who are on the cusp of entering the adult jurisdiction. MACs are delivered in partnership by Child, Youth and Family (CYF) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).
The evaluation, carried out between February and June 2013, identifies parts of the MAC programme that are working well or not so well and examines early evidence regarding the overall effectiveness of the MAC programme. The evaluation uses several methods of data collection, including qualitative interviews with residential and community-based staff and a small number of young people; an analysis of CYF administration data; in-depth case studies of four young people; and a reoffending outcomes analysis for MAC participants six months and 12 months after completion of their Supervision with Residence (SwR) orders.