Download Corrections News June 2005 (pdf: 629KB)
The room was blessed and the unit renamed Te Wairere in a formal ceremony attended by inmates, staff and local iwi.
The unit had been known as the Annexe since it was built 17 years ago. Other more recent units like Te Piriti (which means crossing from the old way of life to a new way) already had significant names and it was time for the old name to be buried and for the new name, Te Wairere, to be unveiled.
“Te Wairere means flowing water, and where there is water there is life,” says Regional Adviser Maori Service Development Des Ripi.
“Running water is clean just as time in prison is a chance to change one’s ways and live a ‘clean’ life.”
Several inmates had expressed an interest in learning Maori and needed a focal point where the learning could take place. The idea to restore the resource room to something useful came from the inmates themselves and they did all the work required to transform it.
The unit’s 60 minimum security inmates took pride in turning the messy resource room into a tranquil and bright learning room. The large acrylic artworks, created by two inmates over nine months in their hobby time, are full of Maori symbolism. One striking work in particular represents the back of the waka and people leaving Hawaiiki to find a new country, symbolising that inmates too will one day leave prison to find a new life on the outside.
The room contains swamp kauri carvings donated by an ex-inmate, and books and computers donated by the Manukau City Council. CD-Rom based programmes loaded on to the hard drives allow inmates to access English, Maori and maths teaching programmes, as well as a Maori encyclopaedia and genealogy programmes. Inmates are also able to access job interview techniques and CV-building resources on the donated computers.
Through the expression of art, inmates develop skills that assist their reintegration into the community once released.
Principal Corrections Officer Neale Howe says the inmates were proud of their achievements in transforming the education room and decorating it with their own artworks.
“Seeing them so proud makes you realise it may seem a small thing but it does make a difference to them and their selfesteem.”
I have been fortunate over the last few months to be able to get out and visit prisons and offices around the country to meet with staff. Talking with staff who deal with offenders on a day to day basis has given me greater insight to our work and achievements. I would like to acknowledge these staff and the good work they do for the Department.
I was pleased to present the Statement of Intent 2005/06, my first as Chief Executive of Corrections. The Statement reflects our focus on consolidating the gains made in recent years towards the outcome of protecting the public, while taking a fresh approach to measures aimed at reducing re-offending.
The overall direction set in Corrections’ Strategic Business Plan 2003 - 2008 is retained and continues to guide our work through to 2008.
Corrections’ participation in justice sector planning is reflected strongly in the Statement, as it is only through enhanced collaboration between agencies and communities that shared outcomes will be achieved. Major development of our facilities will continue with construction of additional prison beds. The Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility will be completed during 2005/06, and work on the Spring Hill and Otago Corrections Facilities is progressing.
The Statement of Intent 2005/06 also reflects the continued emphasis on improving the way our people work across the Department and with other agencies. Similarly, Corrections will continue its commitment to Maori and the Maori Strategic Plan’s themes of building partnerships with Maori. We will also be issuing a new Pacific Strategy 2005 - 2008, which will extend the range of specific services and programmes that support the management and rehabilitation of Pacific offenders.
Another significant milestone was achieved this month when the Corrections Act 2004 came into effect. The past 10 years have seen New Zealand’s corrections legislation become outdated, with many incremental changes made to the Penal Institutions Act over the years, making it unnecessarily complex and difficult to follow. The new Act gives priority to public safety and ensures that victims’ interests are considered. The Act and supporting Corrections Regulations 2005 replace the Penal Institutions Act 1954 and the Penal Institutions Regulations 2000, completing the package of criminal justice reform in New Zealand that started with the Sentencing Act, Parole Act and Victims’ Rights Act.
Corrections' Statement of Intent 2005/06, which highlights the Department’s priorities for the year ahead, was tabled in Parliament last month.
While public safety remains the key priority, the Government’s focus on reducing re-offending is reflected throughout the Statement.
Minister of Corrections Hon Paul Swain says the corrections system now provides better protection for the public, gives greater recognition to the needs of victims, and ensures the management of offenders is consistent with international best practice.
“The Corrections Act 2004, which came into force earlier this month, completes a major programme of new legislation that improves our approach to criminal justice issues.
“Along with legislative reform, the Government has provided more resources for additional capacity to manage the growing prisoner population.”
Mr Swain says the Government is determined to reduce re-offending and has set a number of priorities for the Department in this area. These include reintegration for offenders on release from prison to the community, appropriate industry-accredited training for offenders and sustainable employment after release.
Other priorities in this area are:
Specific initiatives to support reintegration will focus on better coordination of services across government and community agencies, a pilot project for supported accommodation for high-need offenders, more self care facilities in prisons and improvements to training and employment programmes.
Corrections Chief Executive Barry Matthews says his first Statement of Intent as Chief Executive is focused largely on consolidating the gains made in recent years.
”While the year ahead will be largely one of consolidation, there are many significant challenges for the Department and its staff. I look forward to working with staff as we face those challenges together.”
Reducing re-offending and contributing to safer communities took on an international perspective when Department staff visited Vanuatu as part of a delegation organised and funded by the New Zealand Agency for International Development, better known as NZAID.
Corrections staff members Warwick Duell, Lawrence Tawera, Bryan Christy and Sef Bourke went to Vanuatu to help develop ways to improve corrections services in Vanuatu, with the ultimate aim of safe, secure and humane prisons, and effective rehabilitation of offenders.
Warwick, Community Probation Service’s National Manager Management Development, Lawrence, National Adviser Maori Service Development, Bryan, Auckland Prison Site Manager and Sef, a Unit Manager at Waikeria Prison, were chosen for their institutional knowledge and expertise. They were part of an international taskforce overseeing reforms to Vanuatu’s prison service and helping to establish a probation service.
Vanuatu’s population is spread across 83 islands, and serious crime is on the rise. Sixtyfour percent of crime is committed in the capital Port Vila, with 37 percent of crime committed by offenders aged between 10 and 20. New Zealand’s aid has a strong emphasis on supporting law and order to help combat this.
Community Probation Service staff Lawrence and Warwick completed an extensive consultation process over their two and a half weeks in Vanuatu, travelling to a number of islands to meet village chiefs, provincial administrators and other stakeholders to discuss possible roles and functions of a probation service, should one be established. On their return to New Zealand, Lawrence and Warwick prepared a proposal setting out recommendations for the establishment of a probation service in Vanuatu.
Warwick explains: “The most challenging aspect was trying to understand the sociopolitical structures that operate at village and national level. A probation service would need to incorporate the cultural values and beliefs at these two levels. Alongside the more formal Court systems, village chiefs have the power to administer sanctions according to traditional beliefs when breaches occur. The challenge for the taskforce is to develop a model that builds on tradition and meets the expectations of the Ni Van (native Melanesian) people.”
Once a corrections service is established, staff from Corrections’ Public Prisons Service (PPS) will help to train staff and develop operating routines, a project envisaged to continue for the next three to four years.
The Vanuatu Government will consider the taskforce’s recommendations and implement what is approved. Implementation will take several years, and Corrections will continue to be involved throughout the process. Sunscreen anyone?
PPS staff Bryan Christy and Sef Bourke were part of a team in Vanuatu to carry out a study of the Vanuatu Prison Service and its facilities. The facilities are in poor condition, with buildings crumbling and leaking, and unable to stand up to Vanuatu’s frequent earthquakes. The team recommended closing all but two of Vanuatu’s prisons and building two temporary prisons, one in Vila, and the other in Luganville on the island of Santo. The target is to have both facilities ready for operation by early 2006.
A new work tool that provides staff with a guide for the management of Maori offenders is now available on the Department’s intranet system Corrnet.
The Maori Initiatives Pathway is an easyto- use, Department-wide framework that includes initiatives and processes where tikanga Maori concepts are the common and dominant thread.
Manager Maori and Pacific Policy Dave Samuels says the Pathway is one way the Department is improving responsiveness to Maori, one of the themes in the Department’s Strategic Business Plan 2003 - 2008.
“Many staff members may be unaware of what Maori programmes are available to offenders in this area, or what is available to staff to improve their responsiveness to Maori needs.
“That is where this intranet tool is so useful - all this information is in one place.” The Pathway is a collection of assessments, interventions, policies and support systems, for both offenders and staff.
It reflects Corrections’ recognition of the value of using Maori worldviews as a vehicle to promote positive changes in offenders, either on their own or when used in combination with western psychology, and with appropriate support.
It helps to show how the management process works from an offender’s initial presentence assessment through to the provision of community support when the offender is released from prison.
The Pathway is divided into two parts. The first and main part of the Pathway highlights initiatives that relate directly to an offender’s sentence management process.
The Pathway identifies links between each initiative, a short description of each initiative, its availability and criteria.
The second part is a collection of policies and support systems primarily for staff.
Staff can access information on the various initiatives’ service descriptions and eligibility criteria, and see where they fit into the wider offender management process.
To ensure that content is up to date and avoid any ambiguity, hyperlinks to the relevant manuals and information have been added to the Pathway.
The Community Probation Service (CPS) is using a community-based approach to better understand and address domestic violence in the Wairarapa.
Probation Officer David Howes chairs the Wairarapa Domestic Violence Intervention Group, which includes representatives from local Police, Women’s Refuge, Stopping Violence Services, Masterton District and Family Courts, Relationship Services and Child, Youth and Family. The group takes a collaborative, cooperative approach, meeting fortnightly to discuss the services, options and compliance capabilities available to help ensure the safety and rehabilitation of both victims and perpetrators.
“The group has a genuine desire to improve safety in the community, and the information the many agencies bring to the table ensures a more efficient, accurate, culturally appropriate and holistic approach,” says David.
The group is notified of every reported incident of domestic violence in the Wairarapa, helping it to learn more about perpetrator behaviour. Since the group began, statistics show that over 60 percent of perpetrators are or were clients of CPS, and its involvement in the group has proven invaluable, says David. “The information gathered is often key to improving sentence management and sentencing options.”
The figures show domestic violence is a wider community problem than first thought. It also refutes the common perception that the majority of domestic violence is of a repeat nature, as over 80 percent of reported incidents are isolated.
The study found the percentage of Maori perpetrators was significantly lower than in other similar crime-related statistics and that incidents involving female perpetrators was, at 23 percent, significantly higher than previously thought. The study also found that children were present in 54 percent of reported incidents, which is particularly concerning given the growing evidence of the damage this causes.
Another initiative to reduce domestic violence is the introduction of Family Safety Teams, soon to be trialed in the Wairarapa by the Ministry of Justice, Police and Child, Youth and Family. Similar to the Wairarapa Domestic Violence Intervention Group, the Teams aim to provide an integrated approach to family violence, with a multi-disciplinary focus designed to close identified gaps. The Domestic Violence Intervention Group will work closely with Wairarapa’s Family Safety Team to strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to family violence.
“Past incidents in the Wairarapa have played a major role in the community’s new collaborative and cooperative approach to domestic violence. There is still plenty of work to be done, but the group is hopeful that other regions will see the wider benefits of such a proactive response,” says David.
Prison staff are building stronger links with their communities by sharing their inside knowledge about prison life.
Public Prisons Service staff around the country are talking to community groups like Probus and Rotary in an effort to raise awareness about the Service among the community and general public. Christchurch Prison Site Manager Paul Rushton says efforts over the last few years have delivered very good results.
“On average we speak to at least one group a month and have encouraged these groups to come to the Prison, where they can get a better insight into the people who live and work here.”
South Island Public Prisons Service Regional Manager Paul Monk, currently acting Northern Regional Manager, encourages his staff to take the time to meet with community groups as part of the Region’s focus on building strong links with the community.
“We’re part of the local community, so establishing and maintaining those links are important. I think we have an obligation to be a good neighbour and communicate effectively with the local community to make sure they understand what we’re doing here and why.
“The justice sector is very complex, with different organisations filling different roles within the sector. At a local level, we have a role to play in demystifying prisons and helping the public increase their knowledge and understanding of what Corrections does and what goes on in our prisons.
“It’s also important that communities understand the role they play in reducing reoffending by taking responsibility for supporting offenders released from prison,” says Paul.
Open days at Christchurch and Dunedin Prisons last year attracted hundreds of interested members of the public, demonstrating the local community’s desire to know more about what goes on behind the wire.
Paul belives there is clearly a gap in the public’s knowledge about prisons and prison life.
“I hope that through our efforts and initiatives, the public gains a better understanding of prisons and the great work we do.”
Eighty new self care beds will be added to existing prisons by the end of August 2005, supplementing the 96 self care beds already operating successfully around the country.
Self care units are residential-style accommodation designed for inmates nearing release and who have specific reintegrative needs.
The units provide inmates with an intermediary step between the prison environment and living in the community.
Self care units increase inmates’ general competence, self-responsibility, and selfreliance before their release from prison.
While in the units, inmates are responsible for budgeting, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, cooperative decision-making, and the responsibility of generally living in a house or flat situation.
Self care units are built in groups of five, with a support building containing a day officer station and visitor and hobby facilities.
The new units are set apart from the main prison, with low security provisions to help develop trust.
Hawke’s Bay Prison acting Site Manager Blythe Wood is very impressed with the new self care units.
“They are an ideal way to bridge the gap between prison life and the community,” Blythe says.
“Working in a supported community setting helps inmates develop life skills and build confidence before their release.”
Corrections Minister Hon Paul Swain says successfully rehabilitating and reintegrating inmates is the most effective way to reduce re-offending.
To be eligible to enter the self care units, inmates must be drug free, have no serious misconduct charges recorded in the previous six months, be classified as minimum security, and be within one year of their sentence release date. On being accepted, inmates must sign a contract agreeing to comply with the conditions and requirements of the unit.
Once in self care units, inmates must remain drug free, submitting to drug tests when required, and behave in a responsible and cooperative manner. Inmates must also complete the required structured programme hours and work actively towards achieving the reintegrative objectives of their sentence plan.
In addition to the new Hawke’s Bay and Wanganui Prison units, self care units will also open at Christchurch Men’s, Christchurch Women’s and Rimutaka Prisons later this year. They are among 493 additional prison beds funded by the Government in response to the forecast increase in inmate numbers.
Recent successes in helping inmates find work on release from prison has encouraged Corrections to develop new vocational training and employment initiatives.
Corrections is working in partnership with businesses and community support groups to find ongoing employment for released offenders by providing in-prison training and guiding offenders into job sectors currently lacking skilled workers.
Research has shown that employment is a key factor in the successful rehabilitation of offenders, which is itself a key factor in reducing re-offending.
This was further underlined by the Government’s recent Budget, which provided $5 million over four years for reintegrative initiatives.
Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE) Site Operations Manager Karen McQueen, based at Waikeria Prison, worked with seven inmates who were offered permanent employment on the site of the Spring Hill Corrections Facility as part of the Release To Work programme.
Release To Work assists the reintegration of released offenders by teaching them work skills and habits.
The inmates were trained in the use of earthwork machinery by a private company involved in the project, and were subject to the same employment processes as other workers.
“One of the guys who works on the site could hardly even back a trailer before he was trained,” says Karen.
“A bit of training and support and look at them now - they’re driving huge dumptrucks every day.”
Karen says other Spring Hill site staff shortages could possibly be filled by released offenders through joint efforts between CIE, the Public Prisons Service and the site’s collaborative working arrangement, which manages the earthworks at Spring Hill. Reintegration worker Mike Holloway works with inmates at Waikeria’s youth unit, Ta Kupu o te Rakau, helping them gain skills and re-adjust to life in the community on release.
After working in prisons for 14 years Mike has only been in his reintegration role a few months. He works with each inmate in the youth unit and has high hopes for one offender in particular.
The youth was due for release but had no future prospects or support. As the result of a co-ordinated effort by the Public Prisons Service, the Community Probation Service, Work and Income and Prisoners' Aid and Rehabilitation Society, the offender found work following his release from prison.
The offender’s promising horticulture qualifications, and a shortage of staff in the industry, meant Mike was able to use his contacts to find the youth work in viticulture in Blenheim, and encourage further education through placing him on a 60-week industry course.
“We can’t be sure how this boy will get along, but it is a good example of how we can work with the community and support groups to help somebody being released.”
A high-level delegation from the Singapore Prison Service visited New Zealand in April to learn more about Corrections’ management of custodial and non-custodial offenders.
The group of Singaporean prison and probation service managers was led by Mr Chua, Director of the Singapore Prison Service. Mr Chua was well-known to former Chief Executive Mark Byers through the Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA). The delegation was in New Zealand to research the possibility of a combined Corrections Department in Singapore.
Through a variety of meetings the group left New Zealand with a detailed idea of how Corrections, Child Youth and Family (CYF) and the Ministry of Justice manage offenders, including young offenders, in the community and in prison.
"The delegation was very interested in our initiatives and asked many insightful questions. They were particularly interested in the Reducing Youth Offending Programme and young offender units, and were impressed by our integration with other agencies," says Manager Operational Policy Richard Bargh.
The group visited a CYF youth justice facility in Auckland, Community Probation Service offices in Hamilton and Waikeria Prison’s youth unit. In Wellington, the group spent the day with Corrections staff from the Policy Development Group and the Community Probation Service. A joint Ministry of Justice and CYF meeting was also arranged.
“The trip was very fruitful, thanks to an itinerary that allowed the delegation to get a good perspective on New Zealand’s policies and systems,” says the Singapore Prison Service’s Ju Lee Ong.
“The trip also allowed the delegation to understand the extent of collaboration among New Zealand government agencies in the provision of programmes for young offenders.”
Corrections Chief Executive Barry Matthews is looking forward to continuing the ongoing relationship with Asian corrections administrators.
“The visit was a good opportunity to meet Mr Chua and his delegation in person before the APCCA conference in Korea later this year,” says Barry.
“New Zealand’s Department of Corrections is well-renowned internationally and through visits like this our policies and systems can be shared with other jurisdictions.”
Corrections lost a trusted and well-loved adviser when one of Auckland’s most respected kaumatua passed away recently. David Mackey, a senior Tainui kaumatua, died peacefully in hospital on 24 April surrounded by family and friends.
David, known to many as ‘Pop’, had collapsed the previous day while attending the mihis for the Police’s Te Tutahitanga Advisory Group (TAG). It is befitting of his status that he should leave life from the paepae tapu (speaking platform) serving his beloved Maori people.
Early in his career David worked with the Maori Trade Training Scheme, guiding hundreds of young Maori trade workers who had moved to urban areas and found themselves alienated in their new surroundings. David provided young Maori with understanding and ongoing encouragement to achieve academically, later continuing his link with youth as a Maori hostel warden.
David became involved in the then District Parole Board in the mid 1960s and began working with Mt Eden and Auckland Prison inmates through prison church services. Notably, he united different churches in their prison work by stressing how important it was for people to work together.
“All kinds of people would listen to what he had to say, judges would see him and stop to have a chat and ask his opinion,” says friend and colleague Des Ripi, Regional Adviser Maori Service Development.
“He sowed the seeds for a faith-based approach to helping Maori offenders.”
From 1974 to 1983 David was employed by the Matua Whangai programme, an initiative to provide more Maori foster homes and better support for Pakeha with Maori foster children. He was also recognised as a kaumata by his iwi and community.
As a kaumatua, David was a leader and role model who never lost the vision of the good in all persons, despite their circumstances. He was a senior kaumatua for the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), the TAG, and senior kaiwhakamana kaumatua for the Northern Region prisons.
A favourite memory of Des’ was of attending David’s interview for the senior kaumatua position at AUT.
“When asked the first question, David answered ‘What is that Maori phrase Des? A kumara never talks of its own sweetness; the eater must describe the taste,” says Des.
“Then he looked at me, so I ended up doing the whole interview for him! Of course he got the job, I could only say good things. “David could be strong if he needed to be, or he’d make his point later by saying something like ‘you know, that guy needs glasses because he just won’t see things my way’.”
In December 2004, David and wife May visited inmates they knew at 17 prison sites throughout the country. This trip epitomised David’s commitment and dedication to the early values he had established.
David’s tangi was attended by many, a testimony to his standing in the community. Public Prisons Service General Manager Phil McCarthy, former and current Northern Region Managers Brendon Moynihan and Paul Monk, and former Chief Executive Mark Byers attended the tangi. The Maori Queen, Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, also attended, as did personal friends and Auckland mayors Sir Barry Curtis (Manukau) and Bob Harvey (Waitakere).
Des recalls the tangi: “in my mind, I could hear David saying a final thank you to his iwi Ngati Tipa, of Te Kotahitanga Marae. I know he would especially acknowledge the ringawera (people behind the scenes).”
Des recalls May saying: “Des, how can I ever thank all of David’s people, family, friends, and prison management, staff especially at Mt Eden, Auckland and Auckland Central Remand Prisons? Also all the young ones who had come and given freely of their support and their arohanui.”
“Once again I could hear Pop saying ‘by golly May, don’t forget those of our clients that we care for, the inmates.
“On behalf of my children and I, we wish to express our sincere thanks to you all. E mihi whanui te nei kia koutou katoa tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.”
Says Des: “E kore rawa koe e warewaretia e te hoa rangatira, e to iwi, e o hoa mahi, me au ano hoki. A te waa ka tutaki ano taua ki roto i to taua ariki.”
You will never be forgotten by your partner, tribe, workmates and by me. And there will be a time when we will meet again. David Mackey is survived by wife May, five adult children and mokopuna.
Written with the kind help of May Mackey and Des Ripi.
Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE) catering staff at the recently opened Northland Region Corrections Facility (NRCF) are delighted with the Facility’s modern, purpose-built kitchen.
The kitchen features stainless steel benches and trolleys, and computerised combination ovens capable of performing multiple functions. The ovens can be pre-programmed for easy operating. The kitchen operates on a combination of electricity and gas to ensure food can still be produced in the event of a power failure.
“It is important from a training perspective that when inmates are released and want to work in the catering industry, they are familiar with the latest technology,” says CIE Manager Internal Services Russell Baker.
Inmates who work in the kitchens will learn how to use the latest fryers, hobs and a rack-type dishwasher. They will also gain valuable skills that can be transferred to life on the outside.
Sixteen inmates will work in the kitchen with a kitchen manager, and CIE provides the opportunity for inmates working in the kitchen to qualify for a NZQA unit standard in basic cookery.
The kitchen design offers open viewing for the security of both inmates and staff, with open flow work areas. A prison-specific feature is the transitional area between inwards and outwards doors. This means that when a delivery of goods is received the external door opens while the internal doors remain locked. The external doors then lock to enable the inwards doors to open.
The layout of the kitchen has been carefully designed to ensure the safety and security of all who use it. “The lessons we’ve learnt from other prison kitchens were a key consideration,” says Russell.
Electronic monitoring technologies have roots in the work of Dr Ralph Schwitzgebel of the Science Committee on Psychological Experimentation at Harvard University. In 1964 he developed a one kilogram radio telemetry device that could be worn by a person.
This device transmitted signals to a modified missile tracking unit up to 400 metres away which determined the wearer’s location on a television screen.
In the early eighties an American judge, reportedly inspired by a Spiderman comic, persuaded a company to develop a monitoring bracelet suitable for offenders to wear and in 1983 the first order was made requiring an offender who had breached parole to wear an anklet to monitor his behaviour.
Against the background of rising prison populations and rapidly developing technology, jurisdictions around the world are now utilising such technologies in a variety of ways. In a recent paper, Black & Smith1 identify three areas in which this technology is applied. Firstly, electronic monitoring can be used as a form of detention, ensuring that an offender remains in a designated location. Secondly, it can be used as a way of restricting an individual’s movements, or contact with certain persons or classes of persons. Finally, this has the potential to keep the individual under constant surveillance by monitoring their movements over extended periods of time using global positioning system (GPS) technology.
The systems used around the world vary considerably, from passive systems which merely serve to identify the individual when they may be contacted by telephone, to a variety of active systems which may, for example, indicate when a person ventures beyond a designated perimeter and out of range of a monitoring device. The introduction of GPS allows the application of technology developed in the military to be applied in the active surveillance of offenders. This is currently being introduced in a number of jurisdictions in the United States and allows for the monitoring of restrictions such as curfew hours and work attendance.
The technology has advanced to the stage that miniaturisation of some devices means they can now be implanted beneath the skin and can, in principle, not only monitor the location but also other physiological signs such as blood alcohol levels. While such procedures clearly raise major ethical issues, particularly those that pertain to possible complications arising from the surgical implantation or removal of such devices, there are indications that the United Kingdom may consider the use of implanted devices for convicted paedophiles.
Other developments, such as miniaturised video cameras and transmitters, have the potential to enable officials to observe the wearer’s location and activities remotely, thereby increasing the potential surveillance far beyond what may be achieved by GPS monitoring alone.
Ensuring Corrections’ risk management framework and internal control systems are operating effectively and efficiently is the role of the Assurance Board.
Director Internal Audit Martin Leck says the Board maintains professional oversight of the operation of the internal audit and inspectorate functions, and reviews progress in key risk areas.
Corrections’ risk management framework aims to reduce the likelihood and consequences of risks, and ensures risks that can’t be avoided are effectively managed.
“We define risk as the chance of something occurring that will adversely impact on the achievement of the Department’s objectives, lead to a deterioration in our operational performance, cause significant financial loss to the Crown, or undermine Ministerial, Government or public confidence in the Department,” says Martin.
The Board is made up of the Chief Executive, the General Manager of Corporate Management, the Director of Internal Audit and five external members.
Martin says external members are important. “Not only are they independent, but they bring a range of areas of experience and expertise of direct relevance to the Board.”
Current external members are Chief Electoral Officer David Henry, Chief Executive of the Thames/Coromandel District Council Steve Ruru, Westpac Director Corporate Affairs June McCabe, PricewaterhouseCoopers Partner Brian Roche, and Ernst and Young Partner Susan Steedman.
The Board receives regular reports from Internal Audit, the Inspectorate, and Corrections’ groups and services on subjects ranging from prison escapes and deaths in custody to the Department’s financial systems.
To meet its responsibility, the Board can request any information it requires from Corrections’ employees and suppliers of correctional services contracted to the Department, or that the Department has a service delivery agreement with.
The Board meets every two months and makes an annual report of its activities that is incorporated into the Department’s Annual Report.
There's much more to the development of new corrections facilities than the physical construction of buildings.
Teams of staff are involved in every step of the process to make new facilities operational and, as construction starts on each new facility, Corrections staff also begin the process of preparing the facility to accept inmates, known as ‘commissioning’.
The Regional Prisons Development Commissioning Team is the project team responsible for getting new corrections facilities up and running, in conjunction with the site construction team.
Chief Financial Officer John Ryan, who has overall responsibility for the development of new corrections facilities, says initial commissioning planning is undertaken by the Regional Prisons Development Programme (RPDP), in consultation with the Department’s various groups and services. RPDP is also responsible for coordinating and monitoring the development of new facilities.
“The commissioning team changes depending on the project, but includes representatives from the Public Prisons Service, Probation and Offender Services, Assets and Property, Corrections Inmate Employment, Strategic Services (Human Resources Quality Assurance and Communications), the Kaitiaki Support Team, and Pacific Island peoples.
“The commissioning process runs in parallel with the actual construction of the new facility. Construction and commissioning staff work together to discuss and coordinate what needs to happen, and when.”
John says the commissioning process focuses on a range of aspects, including defining an opening scenario, recruiting and training staff, understanding how operational processes or procedures may need to adapt to the new management philosophy and design of the facilities. The ‘soft fit-out’ part of the commissioning process involves putting beds, chairs and desks into the facility. Commissioning also involves implementing an official opening plan and a managed approach to receiving inmates. An important part of all these activities is the engagement of kaitiaki at every step.
The first of the four new corrections facilities, the Northland Region Corrections Facility (NRCF), opened officially in March and began accepting inmates in April. NRCF is the first of four new-style corrections facilities, with facilities in Auckland, North Waikato and Otago due to open over the next two years. The new facilities have been designed to provide the best possible environment to support the reintegration and rehabilitation of inmates without compromising community, staff or inmate safety or security. More information on the new corrections facilities is available on Corrections’ website at www.corrections.govt.nz
Sometimes Community Work gets a little off the wall - literally!
Christchurch Community Work offenders recently had the task of dismantling part of an historic brick wall in the central city and recycling thousands of old bricks.
The two metre high wall forms part of the boundary to The Music Centre of Christchurch - a group of historic buildings dating back to 1881 that once belonged to the Sisters of the Mission. The buildings are now used by various community groups and are managed by a charitable trust.
Centre Manager Linda O’Dea says due to old age and vibrations from heavy traffic passing nearby the wall had developed a dangerous lean in recent years.
“It started to crumble so it became a health and safety issue. We were issued with a writ by the local council so we either had to repair or remove it.”
With no funds to make the wall safe, permission was sought from the Historic Places Trust and local authorities to remove a 60-metre stretch of wall.
Linda says that with help from offenders on Community Work sentences around 10,000 bricks were removed. The bricks will be sold to pay for new fencing material. Until the wall is rebuilt, passers by can enjoy a rare view of the historic buildings.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the supervisors, and the offenders have been brilliant and did a really good job,” says Linda.
“We really appreciate it because we didn’t have the funding to do this work, nor the manpower.”
The wall project is the Centre’s first with Community Work offenders. Linda says she came across the Community Probation Service by chance after a team of offenders was on site helping another community group.
“What’s been amazing for me is that so many of them are interested in what the buildings are and what we do here. It’s been a learning experience for them as well, just being able to work in such a special place.”
1 Black M & Smith R (2004), Electronic Monitoring in the Criminal Justice System, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra
Got a story for Corrections News or want to request the print edition?
Email commdesk@corrections.govt.nz or phone (04) 460 3365.
ISSN 1178-8453