The government has announced a whanau centred-approach to reduce Maori reoffending

The Maori Pathways initiative will include new approaches to healing trauma and helping men build strong connections.

The programme has been developed by Whanau Ora, Corrections, Ministry of Social Development, along with whanau, hapu and iwi.

It will be initially offered to men in high security units at Hawke's Bay Prison, with a priority for people under 30 years old.

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says in three years the Maori prison population has fallen by 800, but to continue making progress we need to keep doing things differently.