A criminal law expert says there needs to be a Maori cultural component in the justice system

Police have launched a strategy that aims to reduce Maori offending rates by 25 per cent over six years.

It builds on their 2012 target to reduce first-time offending by 10 per cent.

AUT associate professor Khylee Quince says it didn't work particularly well.

She says that strategy was good for non-Maori but the data in relation to Maori is pretty dire.