“There is such power in youth voices - hope, wisdom and knowledge. Rangatahi know best what needs to change, so their rights can be experienced every day.” - Dr. Claire Achmad, Chief Children's Commissioner.
In 2024, the rangatahi of Ngā Rangatira Mō Āpōpō (Youth Advisory Panel) undertook an ambitious and deeply personal task: revising the "Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Bill of Rights.” The original document, created in the United States, did not accurately represent their voices, their lived experiences, or their identity in Aotearoa.
Their goal was twofold:
To help future generations of tamariki understand their rights.
To inform policies and procedures that directly impact them.
The result is a groundbreaking, youth-led consultation document designed to be referenced anywhere tamariki and the justice system intersect. It ensures that tamariki and whānau remain at the centre of decision-making, amplifying the voices of rangatahi to a whole community, and making them more visible within the system.
We could tell you how vital this document is, but the rangatahi of Ngā Rangatira Mō Āpōpō say it best.
Below are their direct insights and words, shared through their keynote speeches at this year’s Youth-led Transformative Justice Conference.
Why This Bill of Rights Matters
Currently, justice policies are being created “in a vacuum of evidence,” where emotional reactions take precedence over analysed and evidence-based responses. The rangatahi leading this work saw an urgent need to create a document that reflects the realities and aspirations of tamariki in Aotearoa (T.Y. “Updated Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration, and Why Whānau Voices Need to Be at the Centre of Policy Decisions”).
“The new Bill of Rights is more in line with who we are as New Zealanders—I believe that most of us want the best for all tamariki of Aotearoa.” - A.M. (“Updated Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration, the Value of Mentoring, and Critique of Delays in Justice Processes”)
This document exists because rangatahi and whānau with lived experience call for their voices to be heard—from the policy-making table to daily decisions that affect them.
“This new document honours the cultural context of Aotearoa, upholding the mana of whakapapa (heritage), tuakiritanga (identity), and ahurea (cultural identity). It empowers mokopuna to see themselves represented as agents of their own success…
"We created this new Bill of Rights as a blueprint, not only to guide future policy but to help future tamariki and rangatahi understand their own rights.” — T.Y. (“Updated Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration…”).
A Design That Reflects Our Identity
“The new Bill of Rights is an embodiment of who we are. We chose everything from the rights themselves to the drawings and graphics.” — A.M. (“Updated Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration”).
“We chose not to number the rights we included, as we didn’t want them to be prioritised, but honoured equally.” T.Y (“Updated Bill of Rights…”)
The new Bill of Rights is not just a document—it is a powerful visual representation of rangatahi vision and agency. Every aspect of the design was intentionally chosen, from the words to the drawings and graphics.
How You Can Use and Share This Document
This is more than just a statement of rights—it is a tool for transformation. We invite you to read, share, and integrate this document into your mahi.
Sources:
We’d like to acknowledge the rangatahi of Ngā Rangatira Mō Āpōpō and their direct contribution to the “Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration” and this article through their keynote speeches from the Youth-led Transformative Justice Conference 2024.
“Updated Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration, and Why Whānau Voices Need to Be at the Centre of Policy Decisions” — T.Y. Youth-led Transformative Justice Conference, November 2024. Keynote Address.
“Updated Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration, the Value of Mentoring, and Critique of Delays in Justice Processes” — A.M. Youth-led Transformative Justice Conference, November 2024. Keynote Address.
“Programme Development: Research & Youth Advocacy” — Corrina Thompson, Youth-led Transformative Justice Conference, November 2024. Keynote Address.
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