An indigenous studies professor says what happened at Waikeria prison shows the ineffectiveness of the government's reform strategy, Hōkai Rangi.
Hōkai Rangi aims to cut the number of Maori in prison from 52 percent down to 16 - in line with the overall Māori population.
The initial five-year goal is to reduce that number by 10 percent.
Auckland University's Tracey McIntosh told RNZ's Mackenzie Smith that Hōkai Rangi alone can never achieve those targets.
After the standoff ended, Corrections minister Kelvin Davis said the Government has committed $98 million to work with whanau, hapu and iwi to reduce Maori re-offending rates alongside launching Hōkai Rangi.
