Christmas can be a trying period for prisoners and their friends and family. The Department of Corrections is committed to providing prisoners with a safe, secure and humane environment and ensuring that Christmas Day is marked in an appropriate manner.
The Christmas Day menu is the same across all 20 New Zealand’s public prisons and the menu for the day costs about $4 per prisoner.
Lunch, the main meal of the day, will usually consist of a serving of vegetables, meat and a dessert. Dinner is cold meats and salads. A vegetarian option is also available.
The Christmas meal is a do-it-yourself affair with prisoners doing the preparing and cooking of Christmas Day meals. Prisoners working in prison kitchens will prepare around 23,000 meals for the day.
Many people have the impression the Christmas Day meal for prisoners is extravagant. However while it meets basic nutritional requirements, it is not lavish.
Typically, prisoners spend the day engaged in recreational activities such as sports. Participation in such events is dependent on prisoners’ security classification and behaviour.
Those wanting to, can attend church services within the prison on Christmas Day. The services are multi-denominational and are led by the Prison Chaplain.
Prisoners are allowed to spend up to $70 a week on items from a local shop that sells Christmas cards or gifts. PARS, the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society, may also shop on behalf of prisoners wanting to buy gifts for their families and friends.
Prisoners may receive approved gifts from friends and family, however all items are subject to normal security processes to prevent contraband entering the prison
Prisoners’ children may receive presents through the Angel Tree Programme operated at most New Zealand prisons by Prison Fellowship New Zealand.