Much of the crime that occurs in the community is committed by recidivist offenders.
Around 68 percent of released prisoners are reconvicted and return to a Corrections-managed sentence, in the community or in prison, within four years of release (the figure for released Māori prisoners is 74 percent)1.
However, rates of reconviction and re-imprisonment here are not dissimilar to those in other countries with comparable criminal codes and sentencing practices.
When offenders become motivated to adopt an offence-free lifestyle, the result is less crime in the community, and fewer people in prison or on community sentence management. Corrections therefore has a long-standing commitment to reducing re-offending amongst the offenders it manages. Local and international experience proves that well-designed and competently delivered programmes can have positive effects on re-offending rates.
Rehabilitation programmes
A range of rehabilitative programmes for offenders are delivered in prison and in the community. These are designed to address the drivers of offending, and thereby reduce the likelihood of re-offending. This area of activity is a significant challenge, as many offenders are deeply entrenched in offending lifestyles, and many are unmotivated to change. Maintaining quality of delivery in correctional rehabilitation is also an on-going challenge. Although impacts are moderate, our programmes nevertheless are on a par with the best examples of offender rehabilitation elsewhere in the world, and reliably produce measurable reductions in re-offending amongst participants.
A highly specialised methodology is applied to measure the impact of programme participation on re-offending rates. Evaluations produced in 2005 led to the discontinuation of some programmes, revision and enhancements to others, and expansion of those that were proving to be most effective. The redesign of rehabilitation programmes, undertaken in the last two years, has resulted in the following additions to the suite of programmes:
The Department also funds the provision of programmes delivered by providers in the community. These focus on domestic violence, sex offending and Tikanga Māori. Drug and alcohol programmes for offenders in the community are funded and provided by the health sector. Offenders are also placed at residential programmes such as Moana House in Dunedin and Odyssey House in Christchurch and Auckland. Three community residential centres run rehabilitative or reintegrative programmes, primarily for prisoners leaving prison, under contract for the Department. These are Montgomery House in Hamilton, Te Ihi Tu in New Plymouth and Salisbury Street in Christchurch.
The Department also manages contracts with providers of supported accommodation for prisoners leaving prison with high reintegrative needs. A total of 48 beds are provided across the country. Offenders receive support for up to three months while in the unit or house, with the option for a further three months support after they are assisted to find their own accommodation.
Alongside specific programmes, probation officers and corrections officers are trained to exert positive influence with offenders continuously in their day-to-day interactions.
Alcohol and drugs
The majority of offenders have histories of addiction and substance abuse, which typically have contributed to their criminal offending; estimates range as high as 90 percent amongst the prisoner population.
Corrections administers a screening test to offenders at the pre-sentence stage to identify alcohol, drug and/or gambling problems, and uses this information to develop sentence plans and refer offenders to appropriate addiction services.
Corrections provide a range of services itself to offenders with substance abuse problems, including prison-based drug treatment units. The number of such units has been expanded from three to six over the last two years, currently providing treatment places for around 500 prisoners per annum.
Offenders being managed in the community who have significant substance abuse problems are referred to health sector services funded by the Ministry of Health for further assessment and treatment.
Expansion and improvements in alcohol and drug service provision to offenders in prisons, and now particularly in the community, has been a priority for justice sector agencies over the last three years. Some progress has been made to improve screening, assessment and treatment of substance-abusing offenders in the community. An example is a District Health Board-funded addiction treatment service being trialed in Auckland. More work is underway to build addiction treatment services capacity, as very significant and unmet needs exist throughout the country.
Employment and training
Offenders who obtain employment after completing a sentence are less likely to reoffend than are those who remain unemployed.
Therefore, improving offenders’ education and employment skills is an important element of rehabilitation. New Zealand complies with the International Labour Organisation rules on forced labour, both in prisons and in relation to community work sentences. The International Labour Organisation will shortly be reviewing our standards of compliance.
The Department has strengthened and expanded opportunities that prisoners have to improve their employment prospects, and to align employment and training opportunities to gaps in regional labour markets. The Prisoner Employment Strategy boosted the number of prisoners who are able to access high-quality work experience and thereby acquire skills and qualifications. By June 2008 the proportion of prisoners in employment-related activity passed 50 percent, despite marked growth in the prison population. Maximising the number of prisoners in prison employment remains a priority; while there are still gains to be made in this area, the Department is on track to achieve its current target of 60 percent of prisoners employed by 2010.
Between 130 and 185 prisoners have been on Release to Work at any one time. This arrangement involves low-risk prisoners who are nearing the end of their sentences being released to work for local employers, returning each night to the prison. The numbers currently on Release to Work represent a significant increase from previous years.
The Department has made a considerable investment in literacy and numeracy education in prisons to address identified needs. Departmental estimates suggest up to 90 percent of prisoners have literacy or numeracy needs sufficient to impede their employment. A new assessment procedure is now in use and is more accurately detecting literacy deficits in prisoners. The Department has contracted providers to deliver literacy and numeracy courses in all New Zealand prisons from July this year. Approximately 1850 prisoners per year will participate in literacy or numeracy courses. The Department will continue to monitor demand for literacy and numeracy interventions. A review of the level of provision will be undertaken once the courses have been running for a year and, if appropriate, resources may be sought to expand these services.
In addition to the literacy and numeracy education outlined above, the Department delivers a number of other educational initiatives. These include:
Reintegration
Many offenders face significant social and personal obstacles on their release from prison which can prevent their successful reintegration and increase the chance of re-offending. These obstacles include unemployment, inadequate accommodation, financial difficulties, marital or family conflicts, lack of social support, and chronic and/or complex health problems. Providing practical support to offenders in these areas as they return to the community is important in reducing the likelihood of reoffending.
The Department has work underway to improve both the co-ordination and the range of services to assist offenders deal with reintegrative challenges.
Specialist teams of staff who focus on prisoner reintegration are active in all prisons. A special reintegration unit operates at Rimutaka Prison. Prisoners held in this unit prior to release receive assistance with their individual reintegrative concerns such as accommodation, advice on relationships, and help with money concerns.
Some reintegration services are provided in partnership with other organisations such as the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society. The Ministry of Social Development contribute to prison reintegration teams, with Work and Income workers in prisons assisting prisoners approaching release to find employment.
Pacific offenders
Like Māori, Pacific peoples are over-represented at all stages of the criminal justice system: while the proportion of Pacific people in the general population is 7 percent, Pacific offenders currently make up 11 percent of the prison population, and 9 percent of the community offender population.
In comparison to Māori or European, a slightly higher proportion of Pacific offenders are serving prison sentences for violent and sexual offences. On the other hand, the re-offending rate for Pacific people is lower than other groups, although there is concern over escalating rates of re-offending amongst Pacific youth.
The new Spring Hill Corrections Facility (near Meremere in North Waikato) incorporates the country’s first unit-based intervention for Pacific offenders. The unit is a venue for a unique violence prevention programme designed for Pacific offenders (the Saili Matagi Programme), along with a range of associated cultural activities and community involvement. A fale (Pacific meeting house) has been built on site, and serves as a venue for activities as well as facilitating links between prisoners, their families and the community.
Youth offenders
Up to the age of 17 years, young offenders are dealt with mainly in the youth justice system administered by Child, Youth and Family. Corrections becomes responsible for under-17 year olds only if they have been charged with or convicted of offences at the highest level of seriousness, or at the request of Child, Youth and Family if the young person cannot be safely housed in one of their specialist facilities.
Typically there are fewer than 30 under-18 year olds in prison at any one time. Women under the age of 18 are typically mixed with adults as there are generally fewer than five of them nationwide, which is too small a number to justify housing them separately.
Unless awaiting trial or in other exception circumstances, men under the age of 18 are housed in four specially designated youth units at Hawkes Bay, Waikeria, Rimutaka and Christchurch Prisons. These units also house 18 and 19-year-olds who are assessed as being vulnerable and at risk if held in mainstream prison units.
The structured regime of Youth Units involves an average of 30 hours per week in vocational training, education and rehabilitation programmes. The Focus rehabilitation programme was designed specifically for young offenders, who can be difficult to work with in groups.
Community Probation and Psychological Services deal with a larger number of under-18 year olds (typically several hundreds at any one time) on community sentences and orders. Responding to concerns regarding high re-offending rates amongst young offenders, a programme has been developed and piloted for high-risk 17-20 year-olds in the community.
1 These figures include convictions or recalls to prison for breaching parole or other post-release order.