Volunteers come from many different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Achieving diversity helps to make the Department’s work, and that of its volunteers, more relevant and more accessible to a wider range of prisoners.
The qualities required to be a successful prison volunteer include;
There are some restrictions on Corrections staff becoming prison volunteers.
Volunteers working with the Department of Corrections provide a diverse range of activities and services to prisoners and their whānau. These can include addressing prisoners’ religious and spiritual needs, providing recreational activities, tuition, counselling, cultural and peer support or simply acting as a ‘buddy’ or mentor.
The purposes for which Specified Visitors can visit prisons are outlined in the Corrections Regulations 2005, Regulation 91. The parts most likely to be applicable to volunteers are;
(a) to provide spiritual or religious guidance or spiritual or religious instruction to a prisoner;
(b) to address the cultural or other specific needs of a prisoner.
There are slightly different procedures for volunteers falling into these two categories.
Section 79 of the Corrections Act 2004 places an obligation on the Department to ensure that in every Corrections prison, so far as is reasonable and practicable, appropriate provision is made for the various religious and spiritual needs of prisoners.
Normally, the initiative for this will come from prisoners, Prison Chaplains, or an outside group or organisation. You are most likely, therefore, to approach Corrections via your church group or an organisation such as Prison Fellowship of New Zealand (PFNZ).
Volunteers are recruited to provide a wide range of services and activities to meet specific prisoner needs. In some cases, the Department will approach organisations such as the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society (PARS) or advertise volunteer opportunities on its website or via Regional Volunteer Centres. You can find your nearest Regional Volunteer Centre by visiting http://www.volunteeringnz.org.nz/contacts/regional.php
Alternatively, you may approach the Department to offer a particular skill or activity, either as an individual or as a member of a voluntary organisation or group.
Your first point of contact should be with the local Volunteer Coordinator (VC) responsible for the prison(s) in which you would like to volunteer. VCs are employed by the Department to coordinate volunteer engagement, training, administration and monitoring. You can find out the details of your local VC by telephoning (04) 495 8428.
The VC will send or provide you with a link to two forms that you are required to complete and return. These are;
It may be possible to arrange a preliminary ‘trial visit’ to undertake prison volunteering activity under supervision, before committing to a formal application.
Your application will be assessed for need and suitability. If you are offering primarily religious activities and/or applying through a Church group, this assessment will be done by the local prison chaplaincy, while other applications will be assessed by the local VC.
Subject to satisfactory security checks, references and the matching of an application to specific needs, you, your local Church group leader or volunteering group may be called to discuss the application further. In some cases, particularly if you choose to approach the Department independently, you may be called for interview, either in person or by telephone.
The final approval decision lies with the Prison Manager.
If you are successful in being ‘approved’ as a volunteer, you will be given a role description (outlining your duties in general terms) and be invited to sign a volunteer agreement - a short document which outlines the Department’s expectations and what you can expect in return.
All newly-appointed volunteers are required to undertake mandatory induction training before commencing their duties. Your local VC or Prison Chaplain will arrange this for you at a time to suit. Induction training normally takes about a day to complete.
Once your induction training is complete, you will receive an approval letter, signed by the Prison Manager or his/her delegate, confirming the terms and conditions of your approval. Volunteers are normally approved for a period of 24 months and can apply to renew their approval after 18 months.
Not necessarily. Every case is assessed on its merits, taking into account;
Volunteers are required to inform the Department of any offences occurring during the period of approval.
The provision of mandatory induction training for all newly-appointed volunteers helps to ensure that they are;
Induction training underscores the Department’s commitment to making the prison volunteering experience a safe and enjoyable one.
Training will normally involve a time commitment of about a day.
The frequency of your volunteering will be agreed with you prior to approval. However, there is an expectation that ‘approved’ volunteers will make at least six visits to prison(s) in each year subsequent to approval. There are different procedures applicable for those whose volunteering is likely to be ‘one off’ or similarly short term in nature.
As a general ‘rule of thumb’, all volunteers are restricted to a maximum of 20 hours prison volunteering activity per week.
‘Approved’ volunteers are considered to have become ‘inactive’ if their volunteering activities cease for a period greater than six months, unless there are extenuating circumstances, (for example, a prolonged period of sickness). Volunteers who become ‘inactive’ may have their approval withdrawn.
While many volunteers have no expectation that ‘out of pocket’ expenses be reimbursed, the Department recognises that, for some, travelling costs can present a barrier to volunteering. To help offset the costs of volunteering, the Department operates a petrol voucher recognition scheme, endorsed by the Inland Revenue Department. Volunteers are eligible to make a one-off claim for $100 ($150 from July 2008) in petrol vouchers during each financial year, exempt from withholding tax, subject to the following conditions being met;
All persons applying to become a volunteer with the Department will have their details recorded on the Volunteer Register Database (VRD), a secure database with restricted access designed to support the management and administration of volunteer policy.
Volunteers will be assigned one of five statuses on the VRD, as follows;
Pending: A person who has applied to be a volunteer but has yet to be approved.
Approved: A person who has been granted ‘approved’ status, confirmed in a formal letter signed by a Prison Manager or his/her delegate.
Inactive: A person previously granted ‘approved’ status but who has not undertaken any volunteering activities for at least six` months.
Not approved: Either a person whose application to become an ‘approved’ volunteer has been turned down or a person, previously holding ‘approved’ status whose approval has expired or been withdrawn.
Banned: A person who, by virtue of their previous conduct, is in the opinion of the Department, considered unsuitable to be an ‘approved’ volunteer at any site for an indefinite period.
The following retention times will apply to paper documentation;
Ministry of Justice Criminal History Checks – three months from the date of the check;
Volunteer: Specified Visitor application forms – Until engagement as a Department volunteer ceases.
The Department is working towards introducing a national access card system for all regular non-Corrections visitors. It is envisaged that the card will incorporate bar code technology allowing details of the visitor and their approval status to be displayed to Corrections staff at prison access points, thus facilitating access.
Until the introduction of the access card, volunteers are required to take their approval letter and an up-to-date form of photo ID (e.g. driving licence, passport etc) to present to Corrections gate staff. As there is some variation in access arrangements between sites, volunteers should check access requirements, in advance of their visits, with the appropriate VC.
(see Section 141 of the Corrections Act 2004 and Regulation 95 of the Corrections Regulations 2005)
Volunteers should bring into the prison only the agreed equipment, materials and resources for the activity being provided. It is an offence to bring into a prison;
Volunteers should deposit any such items, including cell phones, cameras and prescription drugs, in the Gatehouse or at reception when they enter the prison.
Furthermore, the laws governing prisons specify that;
(see Section 99 of the Corrections Act 2004 and Regulation 111 of the Corrections Regulations 2005)
Volunteers may be required to undergo a scanner or rub-down search upon entering a prison. A volunteer’s possessions and vehicle may also be searched. Drug detection dogs may be used.
A volunteer refusing to be searched will not be allowed in.
Volunteers may also be searched once they are inside the prison, if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are carrying an unauthorised item. A volunteer found in possession of an unauthorised item may be arrested.
The Department recognises that occasionally there will be complaints and issues that cannot be satisfactorily resolved through normal working relationships and channels. Procedures have been developed for handling complaints/issues, either concerning the behaviour or conduct of a volunteer, or those raised by volunteers (or by volunteering groups on behalf of volunteers) and these are attached.
Any decision to deny a volunteer access to the prison(s) will be communicated in writing with the reasons for it (in accordance with relevant legislation).
Volunteers are normally approved for a period of 24 months and can apply to renew their approval after 18 months. The renewal process would normally include as a minimum;
If you have any further questions or wish to discuss any aspect of prison volunteering, you can contact the Department’s National Advisor: Volunteers as follows;
volunteering@corrections.govt.nz
(04) 495 8428
National Advisor: Volunteers
Department of Corrections
Private Bag 1260
Wellington 6140
Level 4, Southmark Building
203 Willis Street
Wellington
Tel: (04) 381 4982
Fax: (04) 381 4972
Email: chaplaincy@pcsanz.org
Lane Park Business Centre
16-22 Lane Street, P.O. Box 40-657
Upper Hutt 6007
New Zealand
Tel: (04) 528 5419
Fax: (04) 529 8675
Email: admin@pfnz.org.nz
PO Box 625
Wellington
Tel: (04) 472 4385
Fax: (04) 472 4386
Email: nzpars1@xtra.co.nz
http://www.volunteeringnz.org.nz/
PO Box 24 526
Manners Street
Wellington
Tel: (04) 384 3636
Fax: (04) 384 3637
Email: office@volunteeringnz.org.nz
Note: Issues can be raised through a volunteer’s church group/volunteering organisation, where appropriate, or directly by the individual. volunteer.