Download Corrections News December 2004 (pdf: 661KB)
Ten probation officers and managers who have qualified as trainers to deliver the new programme celebrated the milestone with a special graduation ceremony at Maketu’s Whakaue Marae.
In recognition of their new role, the graduates were honoured by the presence of the Department’s Senior Cultural Adviser (Māori) Harris Shortland, who presented them with certificates and pounamu.
KIA Mau Master Trainer Ted Toroa, who has nurtured Kia Mau through its development and pilot stages, says it links in well with one of the Department’s key themes to improve responsiveness to Māori by building a capable and responsive workforce that helps to manage relationships with Māori communities and deliver services to Māori offenders.
“By linking the Department’s responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi with an overarching framework based on tikanga Māori (customs), we hope staff will gain some awareness, understanding and skills to work more appropriately and effectively with Māori offenders and their communities.”
National Adviser Māori Service Development Lawrence Tawera was also on hand to offer some words of encouragement.
“From what I observed of the trainers over those few days, they have a huge commitment, focus and willingness to deliver Kia Mau with enthusiasm, integrity, and to the required high standards.”
Ted says the trainers are in no doubt about what’s before them. “It’s all up to them now to go out there and share this taonga (treasure) with their POS colleagues and managers.”
Ted and fellow Master Trainer Petera Tapsell will continue to monitor the delivery of the training sessions to ensure programme standards are maintained throughout implementation within POS.
Kia Mau has three akoranga (stages) for staff to progress through. Training has begun for other groups within POS, including Intervention Services, head office human resources staff, and service managers, while the first training session for probation officers got underway in November.
The end of the year is fast approaching and with that the onset of the festive season and, hopefully, a well earned and relaxing break for many of our people.
The years seem to go by so fast and around this time I often end up wondering where all the time has gone and whether enough was done. However, when one goes back through the diary and other papers it quickly becomes obvious about how full the days have been. I think that is par for the course for operational agencies and particularly so for the Corrections environment over recent years, where large demands have been placed upon us. Which brings me to the point that it is important to remember all the day-to-day effort that goes into keeping our services running as smoothly as possible.
Those activities are critical to our effectiveness and deserve to be as recognised and applauded as much as some of the larger or more visible accomplishments. As an organisation we cannot succeed if we don’t do the core business well and get the basics right. These requirements have been and should continue to be a focus for attention, and even more so when we have been buffeted by bigger demands than usual being placed on us.
It has been a year of challenge and change and I have no doubt many of us are looking forward to a breather. I sincerely hope you get it and come back to work in good fettle. You can almost be certain that next year will have its own unique sets of demands. Getting in good shape to respond competently, by maintaining your own personal balance and constructive outlook, is important for your own health and safety.
I hope the coming period will also provide opportunities for Corrections staff to share and enjoy the company of your departmental colleagues in other Services and Groups and that our folk in the Māori and Pacific networks continue to get together on a cross service basis. All people in the Department should share a common set of values as represented in the PRIDE logo and share the common purposes of Protecting the Public and Reducing Re-offending.
Recounting experiences and getting a better understanding of each other’s situation and perspectives are important ingredients to learning how to do better and become more effective. The development of such relationships fosters a benefit to all through a stronger sense of teamwork and collegiality.
As always I hope you have the opportunity to have an enjoyable period of time out with family, whanau and friends. And that those critical personal ties are enhanced with many pleasant memories to sustain you into the future.
Thanks to Corrections staff for all you have done and please drive safely during the festive season.
Mark Byers
Chief Executive
John Ryan has been appointed the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Department, following the departure of Richard Morris in October.
John brings a broad background in both financial and general management to his new position, and may already be known to many in the Department for his role as project manager for the design and implementation of the Integrated Offender Management programme.
Throughout his career, John has led major change initiatives in the public sector, and has held line management roles in the building, mining and gas industries.
Most recently, John was the Chief Executive of the Building Industry Authority (BIA). In addition to addressing the building industry’s “leaky buildings” problems, John was responsible for the development of the BIA in preparation for it to join the Department of Building and Housing.
In his new role as CFO for the Department, John will be responsible for overseeing Assets and Property, the Regional Prisons Development Project, Corrections Inmate Employment and Corporate Finance.
Minister of Corrections Hon Paul Swain is delivering on promises to prioritise the successful reintegration of offenders back into the community.
He launched a key initiative in his plan to provide effective reintegration assistance at a media event at Rimutaka Prison recently.
He says excellent work is being done in prisons to aid reintegration and offenders must be supported on release in order to capitalise on this.
"It is an unfortunate fact that many inmates return to prison soon after their release because they lack the skills and links to rebuild their lives in the community,” says Mr Swain.
“One of the ways we can address this is by providing planned reintegration involving government and community agencies.”
A new position - Regional Reintegration Coordinator - will be based at Rimutaka Prison and may be extended to other regions, pending evaluation and funding.
The Coordinator role will involve working closely with community agencies and other Government departments such as Work and Income, and Housing New Zealand Corporation (HNZC). Other links are also being developed, such as with key industries that may be able to provide further employment and training opportunities.
A guiding document will be the Multi-Agency Prisoner Release Strategy, which was developed after the Minister hosted a community forum on offender reintegration in May.
"We have to shift the debate to focus on making sure as few people as possible return to prison after their release,” says Mr Swain.
“This is where the new reintegration pilot can make a real difference.
“Even a small percentage decrease in the number of inmates who return to prison will help lower the prison population.”
Three other pilots will see Reintegration Workers appointed to work with offenders at Arohata Women’s Prison and the Young Offending Unit at Waikeria Prison, and a supported accommodation initiative for Auckland offenders in partnership with HNZC.
A Reintegration Worker position already exists at the Kia Marama sex offender treatment programme in Canterbury.
The Treaty Relationships team has expanded with the recent appointment of two Regional Partnership Managers.
Joe Barton and Neil Campbell were appointed to the Regional Partnership Managers positions in July. Joe is responsible for the Central/Waikato area and Neil for Auckland northwards.
“The Regional Partnership Managers are the arms of the Treaty Relationships team in the regions,” explains Charlie Tawhiao, Treaty Relationships Manager.
“The team is very important to the Department’s strategic direction. Our role is to increase Māori participation and involvement in the Corrections system, increasing our responsiveness to Māori. This is a key theme in the Department’s Strategic Business Plan 2003-2008.”
The Partnership Managers are focused on three key areas - supporting Regional Management Committees in their relationships with Māori, supporting and developing integrated Māori staff networks, and managing relationships with kaitiaki (guardians) in the new facilities projects.
“Our work is extremely rewarding,” says Joe. “We act as conduits between the Department and external groups at a tribal level. We are able to convey to Māoridom the positive work carried out in the Department and establish new relationships, as well as maintaining existing ones.”
Neil and Joe agree that their internal responsibility, developing and supporting integrated Māori staff networks, is equally vital.
“The Māori Strategic Plan is the basis of all our work, it is the basis of our entire roles.
It emphasises the need for a whole-of- Department approach, and the development of integrated Māori staff networks is essential to the success of this approach,” says Neil.
Neil and Joe have been flat out since their appointments and did not realise the enthusiasm there would be among Māori for these positions. Neil says the response has been overwhelming.
“We’re taking Corrections, at a strategic level, to the people. Māori communities want this level of engagement with the Department and are keen to work with us towards our common goal - safer communities for all.”
Corrections staff from the Midland region were saluted in November for their years of dedication to the Public Prisons Service.
Peter Grant, Regional Manager Midland, says 58 long-serving staff members from Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, New Plymouth, and Wanganui Prisons were honoured in two separate ceremonies at Hawkes Bay and Wanganui.
Long service medals and certificates were presented to staff who had provided continual service for 14, 21, 28 and 35 years.
As well as presenting corrections officers with long service medals, certificates were presented to non-custodial staff in recognition of long service.
“When you think of a prison’s workforce, you often only think of corrections officers,” says Peter.
“There are a large number of noncustodial staff who are vital to the smooth running of this type of institution. It is important we recognise their service, too.”
The medals and certificates were presented to recipients at Hawkes Bay by Peter, while at the Wanganui ceremony, local MP Jill Pettis attended to make the presentations.
Ensuring health care for inmates is equivalent to that provided to the wider community is the focus of a project within the Public Prisons Service (PPS).
The project includes the establishment of a new team of health services staff. Five Regional Clinical Quality Assurance Advisors (RCQAAs) are being recruited and will be involved in a busy work programme to improve health outcomes for offenders in prisons.
“Health services were reviewed in 2002 and it was recommended that a number of changes be made,” says Bridget White, Assistant General Manager Womens and Specialist Services in the Public Prisons Service.
“This included developing a clinical governance structure and ensuring consistency of health policy, procedures and delivery across all sites.”
As a result, a clinical leadership role has been established, providing an expert voice at a national level. Working in Wellington, the role will work with the RCQAAs on national health initiatives, while RCQAAs report and provide advice and assistance to regional health managers. As a national team, they will review policies and procedures to ensure they remain current.
Bridget says the first project is to make sure the team’s work aligns with the PPS Health and Disability Support Service Specifications, and Ministry of Health guidelines and requirements. This also involves reviewing and updating health services information in the Policies and Procedures Manual (PPM).
Consultation will take place with all health staff working in, or involved with, Corrections in the development of the PPM standard, including nurses and anyone providing external health services, such as the medical officers, and forensic mental health services. Audits and quality assurance standards will also be developed to ensure health services remain current with best health practices.
“Regional health managers provide key management of local health services, and the staff are a valued part of each site’s team,” says Bridget. “Although much of the focus has to be on custody and programmes, nursing staff have a key role in helping offenders to manage their health needs and take responsibility for their health, which can help to ensure effective reintegration.”
Other changes include the August rollout of a national health IT system, MedTech, a system used by the majority of health providers throughout the country. Work is also underway on a health service procurement strategy to ensure there is consistency across all sites in resources that are acquired, covering everything from bandages to medication and health services provided by general practitioners.
Money has also been budgeted for health staff to continue education and training. This will help to ensure skills and standards remain high, enabling staff to maintain their annual practicing certificates.
A review of Corrections’ Integrated Offender Management System (IOMS) has found the system has successfully served its purpose and will continue to be the Department’s core business system until at least 2012.
“The IOMS system has been one of the more successful system implementations of its kind,” says General Manager Corporate Management Bob Calland.
“IOMS had an expected life of eight years when it was first implemented. However, the review concluded that the life of the system can be extended to 2012 based on a structured enhancement programme.”
Bob says when the Department was formed in October 1995 it had little in the way of IT systems, and there was no common system for managing offenders. As a result, IT strategies were developed and a plan established for standard IT systems and implemention of a national system for offender management.
“Since 1999 the Department has successfully redeveloped its core sentence management processes - focusing on more integration between service delivery functions and requiring more robust, and a higher volume of, information to be available,” says Bob.
Information and Technology Manager Derek Lyons says he is very pleased the review has confirmed that IOMS should be retained as the Department’s core business system.
“In addition, major changes to legislation have been made with the new Sentence and Parole Acts 2002, which also drove system change.”
Originally the review was scheduled to occur in 2006 when IOMS was nearing the end of its scheduled life. However, this was brought forward following the Department’s 2003 Output Pricing Review.
“The objective of the review was to define the future direction of the IOMS system from 2004 through to 2012. A key driver was to ensure any recommendation would enable an open system that encourages information sharing and common processes internally across the Department, externally with other agencies and providers, and is as flexible as possible to support the future needs of the Department,” says Derek.
“The alternative was to replace the system, which would be a much more costly exercise than to continue with a system that is working effectively.
“Our focus is on ensuring IOMS continues to support our core offender management business processes so the Department can continue its contribution towards reducing re-offending and creating safer communities.”
System changes identified in the review are already in progress, with the first of the required enhancements being implemented early in 2005.
A copy of the report is available on the Department’s website at www.corrections.govt.nz.
The Corrections Act was passed by Parliament in May this year, replacing the 50-year old Penal Institutions Act. The Corrections Act changes the law to articulate the principles guiding the development of corrections services and policies, and the detailing of inmates’ rights, including expanding the complaints system to cover offenders on community-based orders or sentences, changes to the prison disciplinary system and an end to contracts for the private management of prisons.
While the changes to the law are fairly significant, many of the provisions simply put existing practices that were part of the regulations into the Act.
The new legislation will not come into effect until early 2005, to allow time for the accompanying regulations to be drafted and enacted.
David Wales, Special Projects Manager for the Psychological Service, was one of two New Zealanders awarded the prestigious British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Aotearoa Fellowship.
Sponsored by the FCO, the fellowship enabled David to travel to the United Kingdom on a study tour centred around the transfer of skills and knowledge of small groups of highly-skilled staff to generic application in front line settings.
Psychological Service Director David Riley says the fellowship reflected the high quality of David’s work.
This year has seen significant progress in the development of corrections facilities planned to be open by 2007.
Construction of the Northland Region Corrections Facility is well underway and on target to open in March 2005. Twenty one buildings on the site have been given Māori names with strong positive meanings, developed in collaboration with iwi partners Ngati Rangi.
Construction has begun at the Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility, with eight diggers levelling areas in preparation for the building’s foundations to be poured.
Earthworks have also begun at the site of the Spring Hill Corrections Facility in the north Waikato.
Final planning approvals are being sought for the Otago Region Corrections Facility.
While recognising the dedication of longserving corrections officers is an annual highlight of the year for many prisons, from this year the Public Prisons Service will recognise the long service of non-custodial staff.
Non-custodial staff will receive certificates in recognition of the valuable contribution they make to the running of a prison. Corrections officers will continue to receive medals.
October saw the launch of the Department’s major six-week advertising campaign for corrections officers.
The campaign started with a full colour, eight-page insert in the Sunday News, followed by other newspapers, specialist publications, cinema, and Māori television.
Public Prisons Service General Manager Phil McCarthy says he wants to meet staff shortfalls and to increase public understanding of New Zealand’s worldclass prison service.
In addition to the New Zealand campaign, Corrections is also recruiting in Samoa and is planning a campaign in the United Kingdom.
Mr McCarthy says the Service needs to become much more pro-active, in terms of both recruitment and telling its story to the public.
Intervention Services, part of the Probation and Offender Services group, was launched in July. The Service is a new way of working with offenders to reduce their re-offending, taking a coordinated approach to programme delivery that spans both prison and community-based programmes.
Intervention Services has dedicated training and administration staff who provide support to three regional teams and national office. The new support mechanism allows programme facilitators to focus on their core role - delivering effective programmes to offenders.
A new emphasis on offenders serving community-based sentences is part of the Department’s Strategy to Reduce Alcohol and Drug Use by Offenders 2005-2008.
The strategy builds on two previous strategies, but includes a new focus on working with offenders serving communitybased sentences such as home detention or release on conditions. This is in addition to the current focus on stopping illicit drugs from entering prison and addressing offenders’ drug dependencies.
The new focus represents a fundamental change in approach by the Department, and the belief that we are more likely to be successful with a coordinated, whole-of-Corrections approach.
The Public Prisons Service Professional Ethics Project was recognised with an award from the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) at its annual conference in October.
ICPA aims to contribute to public safety and healthier communities by encouraging and enabling best correctional practices in prisons and communities. Its awards programme recognises the outstanding achievements and excellence of those who advance professional corrections worldwide.
The Professional Ethics Project started in 2002, following implementation of Corrections’ new sentence planning and management model, in which all staff are required to take active responsibility for the management of offenders. The change in focus led to the development of the Professional Ethics Project as a way to actively reinforce positive behaviours and attitudes among prison staff, and enhance the culture of the Public Prisons Service.
The project has been implemented in all New Zealand prisons over the last two years, and the Department is planning to assess the suitability of the project for head office groups.
The now internationally recognised Te Piriti Special Treatment Unit invited Corrections Minister Hon Paul Swain, guests and media to mark its tenth anniversary in October. Te Piriti, based at Auckland Prison, was one of two Corrections’ initiatives to win an award at the International Corrections and Prisons Association conference in China.
Psychological Service Director David Riley says Te Piriti showed that a bicultural approach could benefit inmates from different cultures.
At the anniversary celebrations, guests were guided around the 60-bed unit by staff and inmates.
More than 450 offenders have completed the bicultural treatment programme for men who sexually offend against children.
“Recidivism rates for men who have been through Te Piriti are 5.47 percent overall, and 4.7 percent for Māori, compared to 21 percent for those who have not been through,” says Jim Van Rensburg, Te Piriti Principal Psychologist. “These results are world class.”
Mr Swain says inmates must confront their offending, giving away all the excuses and building ways not to re-offend.
Community Workers are labouring to feed families less fortunate than their own, just when the effort is needed most - during the Christmas season.
Over the past year a patch of Christchurch City Council land at Spencer Park, on the coast northeast of the city, has been cleared and sown with vegetables by Community Workers.
Community Work is a communitybased sentence that requires offenders to contribute to their communities by doing unpaid work.
As the vegetables are harvested they will be gifted to the Christchurch City Mission’s food bank, which expects to help 30 clients per day around Christmas.
Each client could have up to ten children to feed, says the Mission’s Margaret Weatherston, who helped create the initiative.
“Any food that is left over could go to our night shelter,” says Margaret. Probation Officer Steve Anderson, who works at the local Pages Road Community Work Centre, expects the gardens to be most abundant around Christmas time.
“We have all kinds of veges planted - potatoes, kumara, parsley, carrots, celery, cabbage, lettuces and broccoli,” says Steve. “Lots of the guys are really into it. One is even trying to stretch his hours out so he can see the full fruits of his labour.”
Margaret says that while many families celebrate Christmas, others in the community find the time financially and personally stressful.
“That is when we at the Mission work to provide support,” says Margaret.
“Vegetables are expensive to buy, the majority of clients have no transport and have to rely on supermarkets, where lettuces can cost three dollars.”
Steve and Margaret would like the link between Community Workers and the Mission to continue and become permanent.
The Mission commonly provides 20 food bags per day for most of the year.
With the passing of recent legislation allowing for the long term management of men who have committed sexual offences against children following their release, a recent review(1) should provide some guidance for those charged with administering sentences of extended supervision.
Stalans notes in her review that on any given day there are almost a quarter of a million sex offenders in the United States criminal justice system, 60% of whom are being supervised in the community. Her article provides a comprehensive review of probation and treatment strategies, including a discussion of the effectiveness of such efforts. She goes on to discuss the areas that should be assessed in relation to risk of further recidivism.
The review concludes with an examination of specialised probation programmes for sex offenders, and the final section summarises the major conclusions from the literature, including possible probation strategies that should be evaluated in future research.
Not surprisingly, the group-based cognitivebehavioural models emphasising acceptance of responsibility, victim empathy, reduction of deviant sexual arousal and relapse prevention and release planning characteristic of the New Zealand approach find general endorsement.
When discussing treatment programmes in the community, the author points to examples of carefully controlled studies which do show that the standard cognitive-behavioural approach, coupled with close liaison between a treatment provider and probation officer, does appear to significantly reduce the rate of further sexual offending. While this finding is quite consistent with the Department’s own evaluation of community based treatment for sex offenders, a further evaluation relating to what is referred to as “containment” approaches - approaches involving higher levels of contact and greater levels of monitoring, including home visits and inspection of items such as material held on their computers, is described. This study suggested that this approach had a degree of promise, particularly if each offender received at least three random visits per month, if polygraph assessment was employed when questioning them regarding their adherence to a safety plan, and a close relationship between probation officers and treatment providers was maintained.
On the basis of her review, and of her research in the area of more intensive supervision approaches to the management of sex offenders in the community, Stalans concludes that there is much benefit to be achieved by programme providers and probation staff working closely with each other, the probation officer being well acquainted with progress in the programme, and the programme provider having detailed and up to date information concerning the client’s progress and behaviour while on community supervision.
Ten offenders have become the first graduates of a tailor-made criminogenic programme at Arohata Women’s Prison. The pilot programme has been designed to take into account the specific needs of women.
Programme facilitator, Senior Psychologist Lucy King, says the programme aims to help women offenders identify the high risk factors that contribute to their offending.
“The aim is to assist the women to develop the skills they need to avoid those situations and, ultimately, reduce their risk of re-offending.”
Over the 40 sessions, totalling 100 hours, the offenders took part in a wide range of activities traversing relationship skills, communication skills, identifying problem emotions and coping with distressing situations.
The programme incorporates role-plays, art, narrative, exercises and videos, along with strong bicultural elements including tikanga (customs), games and stories.
Lucy says although the programme specifically targets women’s needs, it contains some components of the criminogenic programme Corrections runs for male offenders.
“For example, the women’s programme includes developing offence maps, identifying and challenging offence-related thinking, managing moods, lifestyle balance, developing positive relationships and safety planning. These are based on the Relapse Prevention and Cognitive Behavioural models.”
Lucy says an important difference is the skills training component, adapted from Marsha Linehan’s (1993) dialectical behaviour therapy for individuals who have interpersonal, cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
“The women’s programme also draws on a relational approach to therapy. This viewpoint stresses the importance of ‘connection’ and ‘attachment’ with others as central to the development of women’s sense of identity.”
Lucy and criminogenic facilitator Maureen Bell-Simpson sought feedback from the women at each stage of the programme. Group members said they found it very useful for developing the skills they need to avoid re-offending.They also particularly enjoyed the activity-based nature of the programme.
Corrections’ general management team will consider a report on the pilot programme this month before a decision is made on its future.
Throughout the year the Department of Corrections’ communications team works hard to bring you news about the Department, manage media interest in its activities and publicise its achievements.
This could not be done without the support of staff across the country and we would like to thank you all for your assistance and cooperation.
We look forward to another successful and interesting year in 2005, and wish you a safe and happy holiday break.
From all of us in the Communications Unit, have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
The staff and inmates of Rimutaka Prison’s Faith Based Unit recognise the groundbreaking nature of their inaugural year.
The Biblically-based unit - the first of its kind in Australasia - is now a year old, and its values-based programme is developing promisingly.
One notable success was the graduation of the Unit’s first 100-hour criminogenic (crime causing) programme, where all participants successfully completed all sessions.
The 100-hour criminogenic programme challenges offenders to recognise the high risk factors that lead to their offending, and develop the skills to avoid such situations.
The Unit is known as He Korowai Whakapono, which translates as ‘a cloak of faith’.
Principal Corrections Officer Lane Groen has been involved with the 60-bed unit since its inception, promoting and encouraging core community values.
He says that some members are serving life sentences while others are less serious offenders, but all are dedicated to the religious programmes run by Prison Fellowship New Zealand (PFNZ).
“The key difference with this unit is that these guys are working with like-minded, positive people,” says Lane.
“We have guys who have been in jail for 10 or 20 years who say ‘I have tried all different types of programmes without success, maybe God is the only way for me’,” he says.
Each morning starts with 20 minutes for devotion, where inmates take turns leading the service.
For the rest of the day, the routine is similar to other residential units as the inmates take part in education and employment initiatives, and therapeutic programmes.
Evenings see the inmates meet in Living Unit Groups to encourage open and honest discussion on issues that arise in the faith community, in light of PFNZ teachings.
The restorative justice Sycamore Tree programme is also a part of the He Korowai Whakapono approach. The programme offers inmates the opportunity to meet victims in a controlled manner, enabling victim empathy and a greater awareness of the impact of crime.
“They talk about why they offended, or how it feels to be a victim - they are powerful and memorable moments to be part of,” says Lane.
A community day celebrating the Unit’s anniversary was held recently, supported by the church community and guests including Public Prisons Service General Manager Phil McCarthy.
The day included a barbecue and short service, with staff and the prison’s Māori Focus Unit presenting a taonga (treasure), plus performances from cultural and arts groups.
1 Stalans L.J. (2004) Adult Sex Offenders on Community Supervision; A Review of Recent Assessment Strategies and Treatment, Criminal Justice and Behaviour, Vol. 31. pp 564 - 608
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