Purpose
The Department of Corrections aims to improve public safety by reducing re-offending. Research shows that prisoners who find sustainable work on release are less likely to re-offend.
Background
The majority of prisoners have limited education or work experience. The last prison census identified that 52 percent of prisoners had no formal qualifications and only 45 percent were in paid work before going to prison.
Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE)
The Department, through Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE), aims to provide a range of initiatives to improve the future employment prospects of prisoners by making a long term contribution to their rehabilitation, which ultimately reduces the likelihood of re-offending.
These initiatives deliver employment skills, training and formal qualifications to prisoners while they are serving their sentence.
CIE assesses market trends to identify industries that require skilled workers within the geographical areas that prisoners are likely to be released. It then provides training and employment opportunities within these types of industries to upskill prisoners in the country’s 20 prisons.
Release to Work programme
The Release to Work programme is one initiative offered by CIE which allows minimum security prisoners who meet strict eligibility criteria to engage in paid employment in the community, with a view to gaining employment on release.
The Release to Work programme is an important stepping stone in the rehabilitation of a prisoner and a good avenue for testing their reintegration before being released back into the community.
Eligibility
To be considered for the programme, prisoners must be nearing their release or have reached their parole eligibility date, and meet the strict criteria. The safety of the public is paramount and factors taken into consideration before a prisoner is placed into employment include:
Monitoring
Prisoners on the Release to Work programme are monitored regularly by Corrections Inmate Employment staff via random and frequent checks at their place of employment. CIE staff also maintain regular contact with the employer to ensure conditions are being complied with.
The employer or nominated sponsor within the place of employment is responsible for supervising the prisoners while they are in their place of employment.
Employers
There are certain criteria for employers to be considered for a Release to Work placement. Employer responsibilities are outlined prior to the placement of a prisoner. CIE provides briefings and ongoing support for employers and their staff before and during a Release to Work placement. A Release to Work placement provides an employer the opportunity to access a pool of skilled workers and employ someone on a fixed term basis.
Extensive criminal history checks, through the Ministry of Justice, are conducted on the sponsors and employers before prisoners are placed in their employment. The prisoners’ criminal history is taken into account to ensure that they are being placed in an appropriate workplace.
Release to Work wages
Prisoners on the Release to Work programme receive market wages. However they are required to pay board, any outstanding fines or court imposed reparation to victims, child maintenance, their own travel costs to and from work, and any tools/clothing required for employment.
Once all the expenses are removed from their earnings, the balance is placed into a savings trust account to assist with their re-integration into the community. Most of this money is not available to them prior to release without the direct approval of the Prison Manager and only for proven cases of extreme family hardship.
What if a prisoner breaks the rules?
Prisoners can be charged with an internal misconduct under the Corrections Act 2004. If the breach is more serious eg. attempts to escape, the Department may lay charges with the Police. All prisoners who breach their conditions are immediately removed from the Release to Work programme and the incident becomes a permanent record on their prison files. Prisoners may also be relocated from their unit and undergo a security reclassification.
Prisoner Employment Strategy
The Prisoner Employment Strategy (PES) was introduced in July 2006 with the goal of increasing the number of prisoners engaged in industry based employment or training from 40 to 60 percent of the prison population by 2010. At the time this represented an additional 1,900 prisoner placements in employment or training.
In February 2009, 51 percent of the prison population or 4,065 prisoners were engaged in some form of employment or training. This represents an increase of almost 1,000 prisoner employment and training positions since June 2006.
The Department is developing a new strategy to boost the number of prisoners learning industry-based skills through CIE by a further 1,000 prisoners by 2011. Part of that strategy will involve engaging with private companies about meaningful work and training for prisoners.
Initiatives are being developed to expand literacy and numeracy programmes so that more prisoners leave prison able to read, write and do maths better than when they arrived.
Other
During the 2007/08 financial year, 607 prisoners participated in the Release to Work programme.
Contact
Are you interested in hiring a prisoner for your workplace? If so, contact 0800 RtWCIE (0800 789 243) or email cie.releasetowork@corrections.govt.nz
Media
For any media enquiries relating to the Release to Work programme, please contact the Communications Service Desk on 04 460 3365 or email commdesk@corrections.govt.nz