Download Corrections News March 2005 (pdf: 655KB)
The ceremony was an opportunity for dignitaries, locals and media to see inside the new facility, the first of its kind in New Zealand.
NRCF is the first of four new regional corrections facilities, with facilities in Auckland, North Waikato and Otago due to open over the next two years.
Corrections Minister Hon Paul Swain says NRCF signals a shift in the way corrections facilities are designed, built and managed.
“The partnership with Ngati Rangi, kaitiaki of the area, that has been so crucial to the development of NRCF, is just one example of this.
“The design and location of NRCF support effective rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into their communities, reducing the risk of reoffending.”
“I expect NRCF - a modern, purposebuilt facility - to lead the way in successfully rehabilitating and reintegrating inmates,” says Minister Swain.
Corrections’ Chief Executive Barry Matthews points to the importance of the regional focus to offender management that is at the heart of the new facility.
“As far as possible, we aim to retain the links that offenders have with their families and whanau. For many it’s the positive connections they have in the community that provide them with the support they need to avoid re-offending.”
Corrections has been working closely with the community and local hapu, Ngati Rangi, throughout the development of NRCF. A community liaison group was established with representatives from Corrections, Ngati Rangi, the community, local council, and Police. The involvement of local Maori was formalised through a partnership agreement between Corrections and Ngati Rangi, recognising the special kaitiaki status of Ngati Rangi.
“As our partner and the hapu with manawhenua status over the NRCF site, Ngati Rangi involvement has been, and will continue to be, extremely important in the ongoing development and management of the facility,” says Barry.
“Their guidance on cultural matters, input to the site’s layout, its management philosophy, programmes and operation has been invaluable. The partnership has provided a blueprint for how we wish to work in other parts of the country.”
Nearly 10,000 cubic metres of concrete and 330,752 linear metres of timber were used in the construction of NRCF, which has a total floor area of 18,900m2.
With 685 tonnes of structural steel, 17,400 linear metres of flashing, 20,800m2 of plasterboard, 9,700m2 of compressed sheet cladding also used in the complex’s structure, it’s little wonder that an estimated one million work hours have been clocked up in the construction process, pumping around $37 million in wages into the economy.
Corrections, and in fact the justice sector as a whole, is a challenging area for all who work in it, both in New Zealand and in similar jurisdictions around the world. It’s also an area I know well. My background has been in the Police, including five years as Police Commissioner of the Western Australian Police Service and as Deputy Police Commissioner in the New Zealand Police.
I’m aware that Corrections has made significant developments in recent years, particularly to its offender management practices and infrastructure. I have been very impressed by the strong strategic focus, and it’s my intention to continue to build on the developments made over recent years. I would also reiterate the specific commitment I gave at my welcoming powhiri, to continue the initiatives Corrections has underway to reducing reoffending by Maori and Pacific offenders.
This will be an exciting year for Corrections. The first of four new regional prisons opened this month in Northland and the new Corrections Act comes into effect later this year, the first major overhaul of corrections legislation in 50 years. It will also be a year of considerable challenge and, being an election year, one in which Corrections will always be subject to a level of external scrutiny.
I feel privileged to have this opportunity to lead Corrections at this time and am heartened by the positive attitude of the people I have met to date and the support they have offered me. Meeting as many of you as I can during the coming months is one of my immediate goals, and I look forward to the opportunity of working with you over the coming years.
Minister of Corrections Hon Paul Swain signed an historic agreement with a major North Island iwi last month, formalising Ngati Tuwharetoa’s working relationship with Corrections.
Minister Swain says the agreement clearly sets out the way in which both Ngati Tuwharetoa and Corrections will consult over issues of mutual interest.
“This includes lowering the re-offending rate, improving reintegration of offenders and ensuring the concerns of the local community are recognised.”
Corrections has a number of facilities and services in the Taupo/Turangi area that fall within the traditional area of Ngati Tuwharetoa, including Tongariro/Rangipo Prison.
Associate Minister of Corrections Mita Ririnui also attended the signing, and says he wants the agreement to be the first of many with iwi throughout New Zealand.
"Whanau, hapu, iwi and the wider Maori community are a powerful force for positive change in the corrections system and for those who are served by the system.
“In addition, this agreement recognises the cultural and spiritual links Ngati Tuwharetoa has with the land on which the prison is located.
"Maori comprise around 50 per cent of the prison population. We want to redress this overrepresentation and agreements such as this one with Ngati Tuwharetoa can only assist in achieving this goal."
Long-serving Corrections staff across the Department will soon be acknowledged, following approval of a long service recognition policy.
General Manager Strategic Services Mike Martelli says institutional knowledge and experience are valuable tools in a large organisation such as Corrections.
“We want to recognise the way in which long-serving staff contribute to the organisation’s overall success.”
The Public Prisons Service has formal processes in place to recognise long service and good conduct after 14 years’ continuous service and every seven years after that. From May this practice will be extended throughout Corrections.
A new milestone at seven years’ continuous service will be added to make service recognition more achievable for staff in positions that turn over more frequently.
To be eligible for a long service award, staff must have continuous service of seven years, 14 years and then every seven years, along with a record of good conduct and satisfactory performance.
“Recognising service demonstrates to staff that organisational knowledge and continuity are valued and that all roles and positions make an important contribution,” says Mike.
“I hope a long service award ceremony will create a ‘moment in time’ where staff pause to celebrate the contribution of service of their colleagues.”
Summer has been a busy season for arts at Waikeria Prison.
A small group of inmates had the chance to work with a professional artist for two weeks, with costs for materials and tutor’s fees met by a grant from Arts Access Aotearoa.
The event, which followed a successful choral singing competition, gave the inmates the chance to learn new skills that may help them to follow constructive pastimes after leaving prison and reduce the risk of reoffending.
Waikato/Central Regional Inmate Services Manager Dianne Brophy says that to be considered for the programme, wouldbe students had to complete a comprehensive application process, explaining how the programme would benefit them and providing supporting photographs of work they’d produced while in prison. Their application had to be supported by their case officer or principal corrections officer, as well as their unit manager.
That was only the beginning of the work the inmates would have to do, as the programme featured a challenging emphasis on creating original artworks.
“The inmates looked a bit shell-shocked around day two,” says Dianne. “A lot were copy artists, but by the end of the two weeks we were blown away by the standard and range of original works they’d produced.”
Regan Balzer (Arawa), an established artist in her own right, was asked to lead the programme, which covered creating texture, colour mixing, composition, technique and perspective. Diane says the inmates have responded positively to the programme, even recommending it to other inmates.
“We couldn’t have done it without the custodial staff and the help they offered, with many staff dropping in personally over the two weeks to see how works were progressing.”
Arts Access Aotearoa also provided ongoing support and guidance for the choral singing programme Dianne introduced last year.
The programme culminated in an end of year competition attended by inmates and staff, where choral groups from six of Waikeria’s units vied for a trophy provided by Waikato/Central Regional Manager Harry Hawthorn.
Inmates were tutored for about six weeks prior to the competition by Prison nurse Sheila Bryce and her husband Richard, who are both members of a choir, and by Waikato University senior lecturer in music Dr Julie Jackson-Gough, who also adjudicated the competition.
The choral programme faced some challenges. Muster pressure meant keeping singing groups together physically was challenging as some inmates had to be moved to help manage the need for accommodation.
The repertoire was also demanding, with each group expected to prepare a Christmas carol or hymn, a waiata, a three-part harmony piece, a test piece that was the same for all, an original song, and a piece for a solo voice. “Some of the renditions were just amazing,” says Dianne.
The Young Offenders Unit won the trophy for best overall performance, followed closely by women from the Nikau Unit. Trophies were also awarded for each item category.
“We want to build on those two events. It provides a nice calendar of events for the Prison,” says Diane.
“We already have a well established kapa haka competition, held generally in May, and we’re hoping to have an annual choral competition in September and the summer arts programme in January. So there’s always something coming up.”
Two Corrections managers are among a select group of Australasian public sector managers who have been invited to complete an Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) degree.
National Property Manager William Whewell and Manager Corporate Services Chris Thornborough were asked by State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble to be part of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) programme.
Only 20 New Zealanders are selected each year, says William, who is now half way through the two-year programme.
Chris starts the course this year and, like William, will be working on papers facilitated by Victoria University in Wellington.
Because study must be completed on top of normal office working hours and involves four week-long sessions with other students in different cities around Australasia, applicants had to prove strong academic backgrounds.
“If I was to describe the course, it would be like a Masters of Business Administration combined with internal relations, being taught to public servants who want to progress to higher levels of management,” says Chris.
“Ultimately, it’s about improving public sector knowledge and leadership, something I know our General Management Team and Chief Executive are strongly committed to.”
William has already completed papers in economics, finance and public policy, and has been impressed by the collaborative nature of the study.
“I have been at Corrections for eight years and I was keen to develop my work practice when this opportunity came up,” says William.
“It’s quite different to when I have previously been at university in that it brings together different and energetic people to brainstorm and think up new ways to solve problems.
“It does not rely so heavily on formal lectures, with workshops, group assignments and cross-jurisdiction joint essay writing providing plenty of challenges.
“Australian States (Queensland excepted) have at least two levels of Government, leading to a slower administrative process.
This is often commented on by the 100 Australians on the course, who are surprised by the direct nature of New Zealand public administration. We can learn a lot from how they tackle issues, and vice versa.”
Both William and Chris say they appreciated the support of their managers, colleagues and former Chief Executive Mark Byers.
The Chief Executive’s Scholarships for 2005 have been awarded.
The scholarships support Corrections staff in their final year of study by providing paid study leave to complete qualifications in the areas of business management, economics, public policy and criminal justice. Course fees and other selected costs are also met.
2005 saw 18 applications for the scholarships, nine from the Public Prisons Service, eight from the Community Probation Service and one from the Policy Development Group.
This year’s recipients include Probation Officer Annabel Hawkes, who will complete a Masters in Social Work (Applied) at Massey University. Senior Corrections Officer Kopa Lee will finish a Bachelor of Social Science at Lincoln University.
Regional Maori Service Development Adviser Barney Tihema will be finishing a Bachelor of Matauranga Maori at Te Wananga O Raukawa.
Policy Adviser Uarnie More will complete a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration degree at Victoria University of Wellington.
Probation Officer Averil Jarlov is working towards her Bachelor of Social Science at Waikato University. Averil says she is very grateful for receiving the scholarship after nearly 20 years of on and off part-time study.
“The scholarship acknowledges the value Corrections places on having well informed staff.
“My studies to date have prepared me for the work I undertake as a probation officer. I look forward to enhancing my roles within Corrections when I return from full-time study,” says Averil.
Strategic Services Human Resource Manager Bronwyn Kingdom says the Chief Executive’s Scholarship is another programme that shows the serious commitment Corrections has made to invest in the development of its people.
“The scholarship is a generous benefit that allows staff time out in a busy and demanding work programme to focus on their long term development.
“For many, this is a chance to finish off qualifications they have been progressing part-time over an extended period. It’s an opportunity to commit to full-time study and be rewarded by the sense of completion that comes with finishing,” says Bronwyn.
Bronwyn, who was a scholarship recipient in 2004, says the scholarship gave her a wonderful opportunity to focus exclusively on study for a period of time.
The support Corrections gives to scholarship recipients is something that she says she feels privileged to have received.
Janet Castell and Walker Nuku Manaena recently took up their appointments as site manager at Arohata and Wellington Prisons respectively.
Janet is new to Corrections, joining the Department from the New Zealand Defence Force, where she had a distinguished 30-year career – rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Janet hopes her role will enable her to better understand female offenders. “I hope to develop a better understanding of how women end up in prison and what happens while they are here. This can help us to better prepare them for the outside world and hopefully reduce the chance of them coming back,” says Janet.
Walker is no stranger to Corrections, starting as a prison officer cadet in 1974. He worked at Wellington and Rimutaka Prisons before transferring to Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison in 1994, where he became site manager.
“Professional ethics is of huge importance in how we run our prisons. Being able to set and maintain high standards in all aspects of the business is the aim for all of us,” says Walker.
Wellington Regional Manager Dave East welcomes both Janet and Walker to his team.
“I am looking forward to working with them. They both bring a vast amount of experience and exciting ideas on how we can move forward as a region.”
A desire to build links with other community service groups has resulted in a senior probation officer from Tauranga being awarded a Police Commendation.
Carmen Park, currently Acting Service Manager at the Wanganui Service Centre, says when she moved into her job in Tauranga she found no strong communication links between the Community Probation Service (CPS) and local Tauranga Police.
In recognition of her role in building and maintaining a bond between the two groups, Carmen was recently awarded her Commendation by Bay of Plenty District Commander Gary Smith.
Carmen began working as a probation officer in 2000, and says she found a culture of mistrust between Police and CPS.
“That needed to change for the good of both parties, and the community as a whole,” she says.
“We swapped bits of information but there was no real understanding about what was appropriate information to share, or a formalised local agreement, so I suggested a meeting.”
It became clear that CPS and Police could help make each other’s lives easier - access to overnight arrests lists would help CPS plan for an offender’s court appearance, and Police in turn could expect that offender’s case would not be delayed.
“Attendance at weekly Police crime meetings kept us up to date on offenders’ movements.
“We began consulting with Police before an offender’s release, which gave CPS more confidence in recommending a suitable place of residence.”
Waiariki Area Manager Pauline Moran says Carmen is one of around a dozen staff nationally taking part in the Future Leaders Programme, designed to identify and help staff work towards leadership positions within Corrections.
“Carmen’s relationship building allowed us to be on the front foot and address issues, instead of being on the back foot trying to make the best of bad situations,” says Pauline.
Communication was also improved with the Ministry of Justice, Work and Income, Housing New Zealand, the New Zealand Prisoners' Aid and Rehabilitation Society and Waikeria Prison.
Word has since got around. “When I came to work here in Wanganui, I found local Police had heard what happened in Tauranga and are keen to formalise their own agreement with CPS,” says Carmen.
A 350-bed facility that will accommodate minimum to high-medium security inmates, NRCF is located near Ngawha, just south of Kaikohe. Following the official opening in March, NRCF was ‘locked down’ to enable operational and security system testing to be completed. Inmates will be brought into the facility once testing is complete and Corrections is fully satisfied the facility is ready to provide safe and secure containment of inmates.
Development of the 286-bed women’s facility in Manukau, South Auckland, reached a major milestone when construction work kicked off last September. Thirteen of the 38 buildings that will make up the facility are under construction, putting the facility on target for completion in mid-2006. Women inmates make up a small proportion of the total inmate population, but represent one of the fastest growing inmate groups.
As we reported in the last issue of Corrections News, earthworks at the site of the new corrections facility near Milburn in Otago began last December. About 70,000 cubic metres of earth must be moved to prepare for construction of the new facility, which will house 335 inmates. The Otago Region Corrections Facility is due to open in 2007.
Work on the 650-bed men’s facility near Te Kauwhata in North Waikato is progressing well, with contractors about half way through the required earthworks. About 1.3 million cubic metres of earth will be shifted to make way for the facility, which will employ around 450 staff when it opens in mid-2007.
For more information on the new corrections facilities, visit our website at www.corrections.govt.nz
NRCF is the first of four new-style corrections facilities. It has been designed to provide the best possible environment to support the reintegration and rehabilitation of inmates, leading to a reduction in re-offending.
Buildings at NRCF are separated by open spaces and landscaped areas, but confined by a highly secure perimeter fence. When inmates are brought onto the site later this year, they will have to exercise greater initiative and take more responsibility for managing their day.
They will have increased freedom to move through the site, depending on their behaviour and individual security rating. Responsible and controlled behaviour is rewarded and encouraged through the use of incentives.
Site Manager Mike Hughes says the design and operation of NRCF will provide opportunities for staff to encourage and support inmates to change their behaviour, learn new skills and become better equipped to live crime-free lives upon release. Staff will also work closely with whanau, friends and the wider community.
It is likely that a large proportion of inmates in Northland will be of Maori descent. Mike says it will be essential to protect and safeguard Maori cultural concepts within NRCF, and ensure that Maori values, beliefs and practices are integrated into the new facility.
Around 70% of the inmates will be from the local area, enabling them to retain closer links with their family/whanau and support networks. This will assist rehabilitation and lessen the burden on families.
The design of NRCF is based on a style of prison that has been applied internationally for more than 15 years, including in Australia, Canada, the United States and Israel.
The Bay of Plenty Men’s Community Choir last year shared their love of singing and some tips on technique with members of the Waikeria Prison choir.
The offer to come and sing for the inmates was well-timed, as it was a week before the inmates were performing in a prison choral competition. They appreciated the opportunity to listen to an experienced choir and were surprised to see young men in the Bay of Plenty choir. During afternoon tea following the concert, the inmates quizzed choir members on technique and asked for pointers for their next performance.
“The visit paid off,” says Regional Inmate Services Manager Dianne Brophy, “because they did indeed use some of those pointers.
For example, after talking with the visiting choir they experimented with ‘voice prints’, the sound created by each member’s position in the choir. They changed some positions and were able to get a different ‘voice print’.”
Dianne says the Bay of Plenty choir enjoyed their visit and both the choir and the Prison would like to make it a regular event. “Singing is a wonderful activity and gives the inmates an opportunity to consider how to use their time constructively both in prison and after they have been released.”
Home detainees in Blenheim are benefiting from the brain-child of a local Community Probation Service staff member, and the idea might be exported to other parts of the country.
Senior Probation Officer Kurt Brown began organising monthly one and-a-half hour meetings for home detainees and their sponsors last year.
The idea was born after Kurt realised he was giving the same advice to his different home detention clients and their sponsors.
“The process was taking up to eight hours a month, so I went to my managers with an idea and they thought we should give it a go,” says Kurt, who has been a probation officer for around four years.
The monthly meetings, held in the evenings, allow the different groups to mingle over a cup of tea, discussing the issues that face them in day to day life.
Home detainees are allowed to leave their residence to attend meetings and programmes with the permission of their probation officer.
“It is voluntary, but I ask new clients to come along at least once, and around 80 percent turn up on an ongoing basis.”
There are even some offenders no longer on home detention who have returned to the meetings to be part of the group and offer their experiences.
“The meetings are about as informal as a support group can be, but there’s usually a serious subject for the night.
“I find it is a good place to reinforce boundaries.”
Kurt says the subject matter can sometimes lead to tension, so every two or three months participants are invited to ‘clear the air’.
“They are able to have a good rant for 10 minutes, if that’s what they need.”
Following interest from other South Island offices, Kurt is now drafting a paper outlining his home detention support meetings so other offices can try it.
“It has worked well here, so there has to be merit in trying it in other places.”
After nearly four years with Corrections, General Manager Policy Development Jared Mullen has left to take up a position as Director of the Office of the Chief Executive at the Department of Internal Affairs.
Jared says, “I’ve always been extraordinarily challenged and rewarded while working for Corrections and am honoured to have worked with such great colleagues.
“I have found it satisfying to oversee the development and passage of the new Corrections Act, which outlines the principles and practices of a very modern organisation, and I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to advise the Government on rehabilitation and alternatives to imprisonment.”
General Manager Strategic Services Mike Martelli attributes a large part of the Strategic Business Plan to the Policy Development Group, especially strategies to improve the Department’s effectiveness for and responsiveness to Maori and Pacific Peoples.
“Jared has been an extremely effective advocate for policy matters within the justice sector and in inter-sectorial fora.”
Mike says Jared will be sorely missed.
“He has accomplished much during his time at Corrections and his achievements have been a source of pride and satisfaction.” Jared left with an optimistic attitude, commenting, “making a difference in an organisation that can often be hard work is very rewarding. I suppose that explains the large number of committed, professional and hard working staff who I have had the pleasureto meet and talk with over the past four years”.
We wish him all the best in his new position.
“The aim is to give inmates the chance to learn new skills and gain practical experience, boosting their chances of finding sustainable employment on release,” says Principal Corrections Officer Neale Howe. With that in mind, inmates taking part in the project will study through a correspondence programme that is linked to New Zealand Qualifications Authority unit standards.
There is no funding for the programme, meaning the owner paid for the work done on his Triumph, and he’s very happy with the result. The next project may involve a motorbike owned by a local Paremoremo farmer, which Neale suggests is just one small way this group of inmates can offer something back to a member of the local community.
The idea for restoring motorbikes came from one of the inmates who took part in the project.
“He’s been involved with bikes all his life and it’s an idea he’d had for a while. When he was placed in a minimum security area there was the chance to have the project seriously considered,” says Neale.
It took the six inmates involved around 450 hours to complete the restoration work. “We only had a very small room, full of tools and benches and motorbike pieces, so the number we could take was limited,” says Neale, adding that only those who showed dedication to being part of the project and who staff felt would benefit from it were included.
The Triumph will be displayed at a motorcycle show coming up in New Plymouth later this year.
Photographs in the February issue of Corrections News were published courtesy of the Waihi Leader (Community Work at Waihi Beach School) and The Daily Post (profile of Mita Mohi).
Corrections is planning to relocate inmates of Ohura Prison to a new 120-bed prison unit being built at Tongariro/Rangipo Prison.
General Manager Corporate Management Bob Calland says the new 120-bed unit at Tongariro/Rangipo will allow for the relocation of inmates from Ohura Prison and add a further 23 beds.
“The decision to relocate Ohura Prison and to provide staff the opportunity to be reassigned to Tongariro/Rangipo Prison has been made due to the prison’s operational issues and the need for significant infrastructure investment on the site,” he says.
Largely due to its isolation, Ohura Prison has six full-time positions that remain vacant and it needs new water supply equipment and a wastewater treatment plant.
“The decision to relocate inmates to Tongariro/Rangipo Prison enables Corrections to make the best use of resources, including additional support for staff, and provides a net increase in beds at a time when the prison population is forecast to increase,” says Bob.
Corrections has invited all staff at Ohura Prison to transfer to Tongariro/Rangipo Prison, where their duties and responsibilities will remain largely the same.
The new unit, a ‘double-60 design’, will be built in stages, with one half and new perimeter security fencing to be built first. The first 60-bed stage is expected to be completed in October, and the second in February next year. Sixty cell huts will be relocated from Ohura Prison.
Inmates will be relocated from Ohura Prison to Tongariro/Rangipo Prison by the end of the year.
The obsolete Rangipo Central 87-bed unit at Tongariro/Rangipo Prison will be demolished.
An agreement between Corrections and security firm Honeywell Ltd is producing significant savings and further improving msafety levels across the Public Prisons Service’s 18 prisons.
The Integrated Security Collaborative Working Arrangement (ISCWA) was signed just under a year ago, and details ways Corrections and Honeywell can work together on security projects.
Success is measured in terms of safety, performance, overall cost, timeframe and quality, says National Property Manger William Whewell.
"We are currently installing new cameras in some of the more volatile areas of Auckland Prison's East Wing, to aid the observation of potential incidents and so improve security for inmates and staff," says William.
"The Prison's cameras have been linked to secure digital recording systems that automatically save footage for around two weeks, eliminating the need for the day-to-day handling of tapes.
"It is all digital technology, so data can be handled and moved around easily." Financially, the ISCWA has resulted in savings of over $200,000 for Wanganui Prison’s recent remand unit upgrade and custody support constructions, and around the same amount for Arohata Prison’s new visitor facilities.
Standardisation and bulk-buying has reduced consultancy fees, future-proofed infrastructure and cut overheads.
“With bulk purchases and economies of scale, our purchasing power has gone up markedly,” says William.
The Northland Region Corrections Facility, which opened this month, has helped grow Honeywell’s team of engineers and provide them with a strong body of knowledge about Corrections’ needs.
"That knowledge will be drawn on as we progress the three other new facilities under construction - the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility and Otago Region Corrections Facility.
Thirty seven years is a long time in one place but Brendon Moynihan, retiring Public Prisons Service Northern Regional Manager, hasn’t sat still throughout his long career in the Service. He retired as Regional Manager in February, a position he took up in 2000 when the five regional offices were formed.
A farewell ceremony in honour of his retirement was held at Orakei Marae in Auckland. Brendon was presented with gifts from his colleagues as well as a lavishly carved taiaha (war weapon) with a greenstone tongue from Des Ripi, Regional Adviser Maori Services Development. “The taiaha is only given to a chief in status and the people look to the bearer as a leader,” says Des.
Brendon began his career as a Prison Officer Cadet in 1967 and, of his fellow cadets of the class of 1967-1968, he admits he is the “sole survivor”. After a year out to study full-time at university for a Diploma in Criminology, Brendon worked as a Corrections Officer in Invercargill, Wellington and Mt Eden Prisons. And in the early seventies, Brendon worked as a prison officer trainer at the Staff Training College in Wellington.
“The main challenge working in a prison environment is dealing with tragedies like deaths in custody. These are very upsetting incidents for everyone concerned.
“For me, these tragedies are tempered by successes, such as seeing inmates improving their lives once they are released. I still get Christmas cards and letters from ex-inmates sharing their success stories with me,” says Brendon.
Brendon has also felt satisfaction over the years as he has seen individual staff members perform well and progress their careers in and beyond Corrections.
“The Public Prisons Service has continued to develop and evolve, and I couldn’t have stayed in the job so long if Corrections wasn’t an innovative and forward-thinking place to work,” says Brendon.
“Over recent years I have been in a better position to have some influence over that change.”
Now, says Brendon, it is time for someone else to have a turn at being Northern Regional Manager, while he turns his energies to travel, lowering his golf handicap and catching bigger fish.
The Chief Executive recently announced a new award scheme, PRIDE in Corrections - a Chief Executive Award, which will recognise and reward staff who demonstrate Corrections’ PRIDE values:
Professionalism, Responsiveness, Integrity, Diversity, Effectiveness and Efficiency.
The scheme will be managed by the Strategic Services Group and will recognise individual and group demonstration of the PRIDE values. Managers will nominate individuals or work teams who must have demonstrated in an exceptional way one or more of the PRIDE values. The first nominations will be received in November, and the announcement of award recipients made the following February.
“Having a PRIDE Chief Executive Award encourages individual and group achievement of our values, and provides an opportunity to celebrate and recognise people in a visible way at an organisational level,” says General Manager Strategic Services Mike Martelli.
“I’m hoping the award will refresh awareness of our values and create discussion. Staff at all levels can be involved in the nomination process.”
The PRIDE values are further reinforced and encouraged to staff throughout Corrections with the installation of the striking PRIDE statements in all sites.
More information about the award scheme will be available to staff on Corrections’ intranet once final details have been completed.
Up until comparatively recently most experts were unanimous that attempts to predict violent or dangerous behaviour were fraught with difficulty. This view was confirmed in the late 1970s when two landmark United States court decisions resulted in hundreds of mental health patients who had been civilly committed being released into the community. Despite all expectations, this did not result in a rising tide of violence, in that very few of these individuals behaved dangerously during the years in which they were followed up. Equally significant, was that an examination of the clinical and offending records of these individuals appeared to show little that discriminated between those who subsequently went on to reoffend violently and those who did not.
These findings led many professionals at the time to argue that attempting to predict violent behaviour was not only problematic, but was in fact unethical given the unacceptably high error rates and the consequences for the individual. Karl Hanson 1 in a just published article chronicles the move from downright pessimism to cautious optimism in the field of violence risk assessment.
Hanson notes that this marked change has been partially brought about by social policy in both Canada and the United States, which has increasingly emphasised public safety and has led to legislation that requires decisions be made on the basis of risk. The dangerous offender designations in Canada and the post-sentence detention of high risk sexual offenders in the United States have parallels in New Zealand law with the passing of the Parole Act in 2002 and subsequent amendment in 2004 allowing for Extended Supervision of child sex offenders.
Further impetus to risk assessment research was provided by the aggregation of knowledge by Don Andrews and James Bonta in their over arching theory of the Psychology of Criminal Conduct which emphasised the relationship between dynamic (changeable) risk factors and further criminal and violent offending.
The 1990s saw the rapid introduction of empirically based violence risk assessments, and specialised measures were developed for various sub-populations such as sexual offenders, spouse batterers, young offenders, and youthful sexual offenders.
Very significant for the practitioner and criminal justice administrator who may be charged with making decisions based on an assessment of risk, is the almost unanimous finding that all of these empirically derived scales outperform the judgements of professionals such as psychologists, social workers, and experienced correctional officers.
Hanson notes that although there is consistency with regard to the accuracy of various risk assessment procedures, there is less consensus about what these scales may be actually measuring. One view is that these measures differentiate a persistently criminal anti-social group from more “normal” offenders. The most extreme example of this thinking would be the literature relating to criminal psychopaths.
The other dominant position derives from the Psychology of Criminal Conduct and holds that these scales identify conceptually distinct but associated risk factors thereby creating a continuum of risk potential. This latter viewpoint is more consistent with the Department’s sentence management processes which emphasise addressing those potentially changeable factors that show a relationship to downstream violent offending.
In his concluding comments, Hanson suggests that the developments over the last 20 years will be rapidly overtaken in the near future by the increasing use of metaanalytic techniques that allow for the aggregation of the results of individual studies which will in turn open the door to new lines of enquiry that will further refine our ability to accurately predict risk.
1 Hanson RK (2005), Twenty Years of Progress in Violence Risk Assessment, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, PP 212 - 217
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