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A revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Corrections and the New Zealand Police was signed by Chief Executive Barry Matthews and Police Commissioner Rob Robinson on 6 September 2005, replacing the previous MoU between the agencies, signed in 2001.
The MoU recognises the relationship between both agencies and their roles, and establishes an agreement on how the agencies will work together to achieve common objectives. It aims to create an environment of co-operation between Corrections and the Police to enhance community safety by reducing the incidence and effects of crime, to contribute to safer communities by protecting the public and reducing reoffending, and to maintain law and order.
The MoU provides strategic level definition and performance indicators for services between Corrections and the Police, such as information sharing, the use of Police cells and responses to major incidents. It will be reviewed at least once every two years or as otherwise agreed by the Chief Executive and the Commissioner of Police.
This issue of Corrections News marks the tenth anniversary of the Department of Corrections and is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the last 10 years as well as the challenges ahead.
The feature article on pages six, seven and eight highlights just some of Corrections’ achievements since the organisation was formed in 1995. These include the Integrated Offender Management project, Output Pricing Review and the development of innovative treatment units such as the Violence Prevention Unit, Faith Based Unit and youth units.
But while a great deal has been achieved, there is still a lot of hard work ahead. There is a need to better coordinate processes and procedures across the Department to support effective offender management, and to continue the focus on reducing re-offending through rehabilitation and reintegration. We must also continue efforts to further improve the security of our prisons.
I was pleased to attend recently the Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA) at Seoul, in the Republic of Korea. APCCA is an annual conference of correctional administrators in the Asian and Pacific Region.
The Seoul Conference was my first experience of APCCA, and one I found very rewarding. APCCA provides delegates with a unique opportunity to share ideas about what can be done and to discover what other countries are doing to resolve these common problems.
It was apparent that, large or small, most correctional jurisdictions are facing a similar range of issues. Rising prisoner numbers, the need to demonstrate the effectiveness of rehabilitation and reintegration efforts, and the requirement to recruit more quality staff, are just some of the issues many jurisdictions are addressing. It is reassuring to know we are not alone in facing these issues.
New Zealand has been chosen to host APCCA in November 2006. The venue will be Auckland, which provides good access to the new Northland Region Corrections Facility and the Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility, due to open in June. These new facilities reflect our emphasis on rehabilitation and reintegration through close partnerships with kaitiaki and new approaches to security, layout and the management and movement of prisoners.
Learning a language isn’t easy, but more Corrections staff are taking up the challenge to learn and speak te reo Maori.
The Department has a te reo Maori strategy, which recognises the importance of the language to encourage and support staff learning.
Strategic Services Executive Assistant Jane Bullick is part-way through an introductory te reo Maori course. Jane was encouraged to learn the language by Strategic Services General Manager Mike Martelli, who had done the course several years ago, so decided to give it a try.
“I’m really enjoying it,” says Jane. “I have to organise myself a bit to do my homework, but I’m becoming more confident in using and pronouncing te reo Maori, and I’m finding the course really interesting.”
At the other end of the spectrum is Piripi Waretini, a fluent Maori speaker and current Unit Manager of the Maori Focus Unit at Waikeria Prison.
Piripi has seen the positive effect learning Maori language and customs has had on Corrections staff.
“People feel much more included at events like powhiri or hui if they know what’s going on. When an international group of Commonwealth Heads of Government delegates visited Waikeria Prison, speeches were translated for the visitors who appreciated knowing what was said. Lots of staff also commented on how much they appreciated being kept in the loop.
“People can feel very vulnerable learning a new language - it’s a big step outside your comfort zone, so self motivation is the key to success. For all Maori, the language represents unique mana,” says Piripi.
So, what are you waiting for? Talk to your manager for more information or visit Corrections’ staff intranet site Corrnet - and korero Maori!
Almost 28,000 new Community Work sentences were imposed in the last financial year. That was slightly down on the previous year, but Community Probation Service (CPS) staff have been as busy as ever, with an increase in the total number of offenders managed.
Work parties and individuals have been involved in a variety of projects to benefit the wider community, including working at foodbanks, gardening, marae renovations, recycling for community groups, chopping wood, school construction projects, and improving wildlife reserves and walkways.
Community Work keeps staff and offenders busy in 56 centres around the country. Of the 12 CPS areas, Nelson/ Marlborough/West Coast managed 1,071 new sentences, while Whanganui/Tararua/ Taranaki managed 3,068.
“Servicing smaller communities from main service centres involves travel time for staff and public transport issues for offenders on Community Work,” says Regional Manager, Central Heather Mackie.
“Despite these challenges, we have an excellent range of projects sponsored by local authorities, service groups, voluntary organisations and marae, and regular meetings are held with sponsors.”
Almost 70 percent of the area’s Community Work offenders serve their sentences in supervised work parties, whilethe rest work on approved agency placements. Community Work enables offenders to make general reparation through community projects.
|
Community Work by numbers |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
|---|---|---|
|
New starts (1 July to 30 June) |
28,043 | 27,928 |
| Completion rate | 76% | 75% |
|
Number of offenders on Community Work at 30 June |
43,949 | 45,241 |
|
Community Work new starts by area: |
New starts |
|---|---|
|
Taitokerau |
1,613 |
|
Waitemata |
2,008 |
|
Auckland |
2,170 |
|
Manukau |
2,610 |
|
Hamilton |
2,409 |
|
Waiariki (Bay of Plenty/Rotorua) |
2,920 |
|
Hawke’s Bay/Gisborne |
2,488 |
|
Whanganui/Taranaki/Tararua |
3,068 |
|
Wellington |
2,821 |
|
Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast |
1,071 |
|
Christchurch |
2,327 |
|
Dunedin/Invercargill/Timaru |
2,423 |
|
Total |
27,928 |
Tutira children have a new playhouse, thanks to Community Work.
Napier Community Work staff were approached to build a playhouse for the Tutira Early Childhood Centre, north of Napier. The offender most suitable for the job was Napierbased and unable to travel to Tutira, so he offered to build the playhouse at his home.
The offender drew up plans and dimensions and calculated the materials required, which were delivered to his home. He spent considerably more than his required 55 hours over a period of a month constructing the playhouse to near completion.
“A staff member’s husband had a truck that he made available at no cost to transport the playhouse to the site for painting and finishing touches by Community Work crews,” says Senior Community Work Supervisor Tony Denton.
“A builder built it and a painter painted it, we couldn’t have asked for more. It is just great and the kids love it,” says Secretary of the Tutira Early Childhood Centre Wendy Valler.
The workers even knocked together some steps as it was a bit high for the children, adds Wendy.
Wendy says it’s the largest playhouse she has ever seen and jokes that they could hold kindy in the playhouse when their usual Community Hall venue is unavailable.
In September a new shade-sail was erected over the playground and Community Workers also put their hand to installing poles for the sail.
Dedicated reintegration case workers will soon be working in prisons to help released prisoners move successfully back into the community.
Reintegration Project Manager Rachel Lockwood says the new case workers will mean each prison has a dedicated resource focused on the successful reintegration of prisoners.
“Case workers will work with prisoners who most need support, particularly young prisoners, women prisoners, and prisoners with high reintegrative needs,” says Rachel.
“The case workers will assess a prisoner’s reintegrative needs and tailor a release plan to address them. For example, this could mean a prisoner helping to secure accommodation so they have a place to stay when they are released, helping them to find employment, and putting them in touch with support agencies who can work with them to address other issues they may have.”
Rachel says failure to find a job is one of many barriers that can prevent a prisoner reintegrating successfully back into the community.
“Prisoners generally have few qualifications and little employment history. In 2003, over 45 percent of prisoners had at the most attended school to year 10 (fourth form), and over 51 percent of prisoners had left school with no formal qualifications.
In addition, 55 percent of sentenced prisoners were not in paid employment when they were sentenced to prison, says Rachel.
“Factors such as a low motivation to work, significant behavioural problems, and alcohol and drug issues can prevent prisoners finding sustainable employment. Employers could also see criminal convictions as a problem and perceive ex-prisoners as unreliable. Case workers will work with prisoners to help them overcome these barriers.”
Case workers will be working closely with Work and Income staff, prison staff and probation officers to prepare a robust release plan for prisoners with high reintegrative needs.
The case workers will also work closely with government and community agencies to develop networks that can support prisoners’ needs.
In addition to three case worker positions already in place, further funding in the 2005 Budget has allowed the Department to establish ten new positions by June 2006 and another three positions by June 2007.
The victim notification system allows victims of serious crime an opportunity to stay informed about the person who offended against them. Under the Victims’ Rights Act 2002, victims of serious crime may apply to the Police to be added to the Victim Notification Registry (VNR) administered by Corrections.
Victims of sexual violation or other serious assault, victims of an offence resulting in the serious injury or death of a person, or victims with reasonable grounds to fear for their physical safety, are eligible to receive notifications.
Once registered, victims receive information about a range of important events, such as when a prisoner escapes, is released, dies in custody or is temporarily released from prison.
In addition, registered victims are notified when decisions are made about recalling an offender to prison or the offender is convicted of breaches of conditions.
Under the Parole Act 2002, the New Zealand Parole Board must give registered victims prior notice of hearings considering the offender for parole, home detention or release on conditions. Registered victims are also entitled to make submissions to the Board. Once the Board has made its decision, it must advise the registered victim of the outcome of the hearing.
The VNR system was set up as a result of the Victims of Offences Act 1987 and was further developed by the Department’s Corporate Management Group to help keep victims informed, in line with the Victims' Rights Act 2002. The VNR database links information about offenders to information about victims, so that when an event requiring notification occurs, the victim can be contacted.
“VNR co-ordinators located at every prison, Community Probation Service area office staff and the Parole Board’s administrators take a lot of care to ensure victims are kept properly notified,” says Victims Information Manager Jan Ryan.
“Keeping victims informed through the VNR is a very important service and one I know victims really appreciate.”
The Community Probation Service (CPS) National Business Plan for 2005/06 has been completed and distributed to CPS staff.
The Plan falls directly out of the Department’s strategic plans and Statement of Intent 2005/06, and puts into one place key service delivery expectations from the Department’s various accountability documents.
Developed as an internal document, the Plan clearly outlines CPS’s strategy, aims, and priorities, giving staff context and direction for the year ahead.
In the 18 months leading up to 2005/06, CPS invested in a number of significant initiatives, such as revised quality assurance and risk management systems, a revised Operations Manual, and the design of substantive new training for frontline staff - in particular the probation officer curriculum and management development programme.
Katrina Casey, General Manager for Probation and Offender Services, of which CPS is a part, says priorities for CPS in the coming year are to make sure these tools are applied consistently and effectively, and to focus on improved quality of service delivery.
“We have to ensure we do the basics of our job well by producing quality information and reports, and managing sentences and orders to policy and procedural standards - especially for high risk offenders.”
The Plan highlights other priority areas, including a focus on recruiting and retaining quality staff and maintaining the lowest achievable vacancy levels, ensuring quality programme delivery, managing Extended Supervision Orders and supporting the establishment of new corrections facilities.
“CPS will continue to build effective relationships with key stakeholders, as well as other groups and services, to ensure an integrated approach to service delivery.
“Effective relationships with iwi and communities also remain a priority for CPS,” says Katrina.
CPS will maintain its focus on achieving key Statement of Intent initiatives under the four key themes, including implementing reintegration activities, completing the fourth year of the Reducing Youth Offending Programme pilot, implementing the Tikanga Maori Programme for Woman Offenders, and completing the trials of new electronic monitoring technologies.
Auckland Prison is making significant financial savings after updating its light fittings with a more energy efficient product.
The new fittings have been installed in cells, engineering workshops and kitchens in the Prison’s West Division.
National Property Manager William Whewell says the changes bring the areas into line with the Government’s recommended energy performance standards.
“Improvements in lighting technology mean it is now possible to get more lumens - the unit used to measure light - for less cost,” says William.
“The old lights were deteriorating, and light output was well below what it could have been,” he says.
“We now have greater light output, with less energy expended to create that light.”
Financially, the energy savings alone are worth $10,000 a year.
In 24-hour-a-day facilities such as prisons, lighting accounts for a higher percentage of electricity use so upgrades are very cost-effective.
A 21 percent reduction in installed load (the amount of power required to power the lights) has been achieved for cells, with a 52 percent reduction in engineering workshops, and a 63 percent reduction in kitchen areas.
“These new fittings are not only better for the Department from a cost perspective, but are also environmentally friendly,” says William.
“The property team has done a great job, working hard for eight months on a project that installed 480 new fittings.”
How do we get more light for less cost?
Take the example of a 75 watt standard incandescent bulb. Typically, they cost $1 to buy and 14 cents per kWh to run. Incandescent bulbs last for around 1,000 hours.
A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) rated 15W costs $9 or less to buy and typically lasts for 6,000 hours. This bulb has the same light output as a 75 watt incandescent bulb but consumes only 20% of the energy (15W versus 75W).
This Month The Department Of Corrections Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary, After Splitting From The Department Of Justice In October 1995.
Over the last 10 years Corrections has continued to develop new ways to increase its effectiveness in reducing re-offending.
While the organisation has grown in size and structure, its purpose and responsibility for managing the New Zealand corrections system are unchanged.
In 1995 Corrections had approximately 3,500 full-time and part-time staff working in 16 prisons, 43 ‘Community Corrections offices’, 64 ‘periodic detention centres’, and 10 Psychological Service offices. Today it employs the equivalent of 5,303 full-time staff in 20 prisons, 141 Community Probation Service offices, eight Intervention Service offices and 12 Psychological Service offices.
In June 1995 the total number of prisoners was 4,495. By June 2005 prisoner numbers totalled 7,074. Chief Executive Barry Matthews says Corrections is a strong organisation that operates in a difficult environment.
“Corrections has made significant developments in recent years, particularly to its offender management practices and infrastructure. Since joining the Department earlier this year 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 have a very good team to work with and I am confident that together we can build on the strategic foundations already in place.”
Just some of the many highlights and achievements of the last 10 years include:
In 2003 Corrections launched the Maori Strategic Plan 2003-2008, setting out its strategies to reduce re-offending by Maori. Whanau liaison workers, tikanga Maori programmes in prisons and Maori Focus Units are just some of the ways Corrections is addressing Maori re-offending.
Corrections’ Pacific Strategy 2002-2005 provided the foundation for its initiatives to work with Pacific communities to reduce reoffending by Pacific peoples. The Pacific Strategy 2005-2008, launched earlier this year, aims to build on and cement those initiatives and introduce opportunities to further enhance Corrections’ capability to contribute to creating positive outcomes for Pacific peoples.
Integrated Offender Management (IOM) was a four year project to design and implement consistent procedures for managing offenders. IOM now provides the basis for the management of offenders across the Public Prisons Service and Probation and Offender Services to support Corrections’ primary outcome of safer communities by protecting the public and reducing re-offending. IOM is supported by the Integrated Offender Management System (IOMS), the core business system for offender management. When Corrections was formed it had little in the way of IT systems and no common way of managing offenders. The development of IOMS began in 1997 and was completed in 1999. Since then the system has been progressively modified to support changes in legislation and business processes.
The Sentencing Act 2002 and Parole Act 2002 were enacted on 30 June 2002 and largely replace the Criminal Justice Act 1985.Key aims of the Acts are to provide greater clarity, consistency and transparency in sentencing, address inconsistencies in the proportion of a custodial sentence that must be served, improve the parole decision-making structure, and give greater emphasis to victims’ issues.
Extended Supervision was introduced in July 2004 with the passing of the Parole (Extended Supervision) Amendment Act 2004. Under the Act, Corrections is able to apply for extended supervision of high-risk child sex offenders for up to 10 years following their release from prison.
The Corrections Act 2004 and Corrections Regulations 2005 came into effect in June 2005. The Act was designed to complement the Sentencing Act 2002 and the Parole Act 2002 and puts in place a legal framework that supports modern practice and Corrections’ approach to offender management.
Corrections’ Output Pricing Review, carried out in conjunction with the Treasury and the State Services Commission, resulted in increased funding for a range of initiatives and services, including staff training and development, increased numbers of probation officers - together with improved training programmes - the development of risk assessment processes for prisoners, and improved health services for prisoners.
The 30-bed Violence Prevention Unit opened in March 1998 at Rimutaka Prison. The Unit provides an intensive group-based, nine month programme for violent offenders.
The first specialist unit for young male prisoners opened in 1999. Youth units keep vulnerable young prisoners away from the mainstream prison population and provide a more normalised environment, with a high level of interaction between staff and prisoners. There are now youth units at Hawke’s Bay, Waikeria, Rimutaka and Christchurch (Men’s) Prisons.
In a first for Australasia, Rimutaka Prison’s faith-based prison unit, He Korowai Whakapono, opened in October 2003. Developed in partnership with Prison Fellowship New Zealand, the 60-bed unit provides Christ-centred, Biblically-based programmes to prisoners with a low or minimum security classification.
The first self care unit was opened in 1998. Today there are self care units at Hawke’s Bay, Wanganui, Christchurch Men’s, Christchurch Women’s and Arohata Prisons, as well as the recentlyopened Northland Region Corrections Facility.
The Te Piriti Unit at Auckland Prison, established in 1994, was recognised with an award from the International Corrections and Prisons Association at its annual conference in October 2004. Te Piriti is one of two special treatment units for child sex offenders.
Corrections launched its first Drug Strategy in 1998/1999 with the aim of minimising the harm caused by drug use, and reducing the supply of and demand for drugs in prison. Drug treatment units are located at Arohata and Waikeria Prisons and there are now ten drug detection dog teams in service at prisons around the country. Since launching the Strategy, Corrections has seen an 8.5 percent reduction in the number of random positive drug tests among prisoners.
The Public Prisons Service Professional Ethics Project, launched in 2002, was recognised with an award from the International Corrections and Prisons Association in October 2004. The project aims to reinforce positive behaviours and attitudes among prison staff, and also received an inaugural State Services Commission award in 2003.
Intervention Services was launched in July 2004, embodying a new approach to working with offenders to reduce re-offending. Intervention Services, part of Probation and Offender Services, is responsible for delivering the Straight Thinking and criminogenic programmes, as well as training probation officers (in the Community Probation Service) and sentence planners (in prisons) in use of the Criminogenic (crime causing) Needs Index to assess offenders’ rehabilitative needs.
Home Detention was introduced in October 1999 with an initial target of 300 new starts, which was achieved by June 2000. By 2003/2004, 1,950 Home Detention orders were recorded.
Earlier this year Corrections received the Leadership in Operational Sustainability award in recognition of its work promoting energy efficiency and sustainability. The award is part of the Ministry for the Environment’s new Govt3 programme, which promotes sustainability in government agencies.
When Auckland Central Remand Prison (ACRP) opened in 2000, it was the first new prison to open during Corrections’ tenure. ACRP reached another milestone in July 2005, when management of the Prison reverted to the Public Prisons Service (it was previously under private management) and brought the number of public prisons to 20.
The Northland Region Corrections Facility opened in March 2005, eight years after it was first proposed. Three more corrections facilities are under construction: the Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility will open in 2006; and the Spring Hill and Otago Region Corrections Facilities will open in 2007.
There will now be no mistaking Corrections’ Assets and Property staff with the roll-out of new uniforms for regional staff.
The navy blue and stone uniforms are a new initiative that make field staff easily recognisable and highly visible as they go about their work.
National Property Manager William Whewell says the uniforms were introduced to identify Assets and Property field staff and stop them being confused with other staff, visitors, and prisoners.
“The uniforms have been hugely popular with staff,” says Assets and Property Regional Manager Graham Fitzgerald.
“They reinforce our team approach and promote the professionalism of Assets and Property. The uniforms also maintain a consistent standard of dress among staff out in the field.”
Made from hard-wearing materials, the uniforms were designed to allow staff to perform their roles easily and comfortably. Staff are issued polar fleeces, padded jackets, and fluoro vests, with different shirts and ties for different positions. Skirts, cullottes, trousers and blouse options are also available. Trade staff wear shirts and overalls or cargo pants.
“There have only been good comments on the new uniform,” says Assets and Property Regional Manager Michiel Jansen.
“The uniforms fit well and are very practical for the work we do. In fact I have even been asked by other Departmental staff if they can have one too.”
Assets and Property staff act as the ‘landlord’ for the Department. They establish design requirements for all facilities, supervise the building of new units at existing prisons, and manage the upgrading and maintenance of all land and buildings in the Department’s property portfolio nationwide.
Keeping prisoners in a leaky hulk, officers drunk on duty, imprisoning 10 yearolds - Corrections has certainly changed for the better since it began in the 1800s.
These early years are described in the 1959 publication The Penal System of New Zealand 1840-1924, which offers a fascinating insight into the conditions of the time:
“…the Otago gaol consisted of a tent and provided such security as was needed for the intractable prisoners by keeping them in irons.”
“…he (the gaoler) tolerated an incontinent lunatic woman; he disposed of frivolous complaints against the officers; he repaired the flooring in the penal section himself because ‘I did not wish the prisoners to see how much the flooring was decayed’.”
Now Invercargill Prison Principal Corrections Officer Phil Lister is preserving the Department’s history, saving items and papers of importance for the next book.
He has the committal warrant for Rainbow Warrior bomber Dominique Prieur, a cat o’ nine tails authorised for use by the Ministry of Justice in 1913, bayonets, restraints and thwarted escape maps.
Phil joined the Department as a cadet in 1974 and has put his love of history to good use as Corrections’ unofficial historian ever since.
Invercargill Prison itself has plenty of history - it has the most complete set of prison records in the country, and briefly imprisoned ‘Winton baby farmer’ Minnie Dean.
The hangman was a former prisoner who was paid ?15 and discharged from his sentence of three months of hard labour in exchange for taking on the role of prison hangman. He was paid ?25 for hanging Dean.
Historians, writers, university students, researchers, and genealogists all contact Phil looking for information.
Invercargill Prison served as a borstal until 1981, and a common request is from people looking for their fathers who were held at the borstal when carnal knowledge of a female under a certain age was an offence.
In 2010 the Prison celebrates its centenary, and Phil plans to write a history of the Prison to commemorate the event, honouring a request made by former Invercargill Prison Manager Geoff Mills before he died earlier this year.
A Corrections-wide project to enhance the pre-release process for prisoners returning to the community is underway.
The project involves representatives from the Community Probation Service, the Public Prisons Service (PPS), the Psychological Service, and the New Zealand Parole Board (NZPB).
Project manager Brendan Anstiss, PPS Business Development Manager, says the project’s focus is ensuring the preparatory work that goes into an offender’s release is delivered in a timely and coordinated fashion.
“We’re aiming for a more integrated process to improve an offender's transition from prison to the community.”
The project examines all aspects of the pre-release process to ensure it works as effectively and efficiently as possible for those making decisions on releases and the prisoners involved. It began late last year and is expected to be fully implemented by mid-2006.
Probation and Offender Services General Manager and project sponsor Katrina Casey says there is strong support for a review of the pre-release process, from within Corrections and from the NZPB.
“People who participate in the pre-release process as part of their day-to-day business know it can operate in a more streamlined, more integrated way.
“We’ve got a good representation of people on the project team. Consultation has been broad and is ongoing, which is allowing us to fully capture what needs to be done to make this process work the best way it can for everyone involved.”
Katrina says the review is timely, as the existing pre-release process has been in place since Integrated Offender Management was implemented five years ago.
“It was always planned to review the process at some stage. We’re at a point now where we have a very clear picture of how the pre-release process has worked over that time, from the perspective of all those involved.”
The project takes into account other current Departmental initiatives, such as the introduction of reintegration case workers and Work and Income staff in prisons, and will ensure that new services are aligned to the enhanced pre-release process.
The project team is also working closely with the NZPB to ensure the information provided to them is as useful and accurate as possible.
Brendan says the aim is to have the project completed by early next year, with any policy and procedural changes communicated to staff towards the middle of 2006.
“We’ll be talking to managers and staff in upcoming months about the project, and comprehensive training packages will be developed and launched once the changes are finalised.”
Although a number of studies have found that men who offend sexually against children report accessing and downloading child pornography from the Internet and obtaining it from other sources, there has been no research on the relationship between those convicted of child pornography offences and future sexual offending. This is surprising, given the well documented association between deviant sexual arousal and sexual offending, and the emphasis that is placed on avoidance of high risk behaviour by programmes effective in the treatment of child sex offenders.
Accessing a recently established (2001) Ontario Sex Offender Registry, Seto and Eke 1 identified 201 child pornography offenders, whose subsequent offending was studied for a follow-up period of up to three years.
Of their sample, over half (56 percent) had prior criminal offences of any kind, 45 percent had prior non-violent offences, 30 percent had prior violent offences, and 24 percent of the sample had a prior contact sexual offence. Additionally, 17 percent of the sample had prior non-contact sexual offences, and 15 percent had a prior child pornography offence.
When re-offending following their child pornography offences was examined, 17 percent of this group re-offended during the short follow-up period; six percent of the group committed new violent offences, while four percent of the followup sample were convicted of a non-contact sexual offence. Additionally, of those who did re-offend, 32 percent were convicted of a new child pornography offence.
More detailed analysis of re-offending by the group revealed that child pornography offenders who had previously committed a contact sexual offence were the most likely to re-offend sexually. Only one of the offenders who had only a child pornography offence committed a further sexual offence during the follow-up period. While the authors concede that the short follow-up period clearly resulted in a substantial under-representation of the likely eventual reoffending rate, the study does tend to counter the blanket assumption that all child pornography offenders are at very high risk of committing contact sexual offences involving children. What the study does support, though, is the link between increased risk of sexual re-offending for those people who have a prior sexual offence and who access child pornography.
While the authors acknowledge limitations in their methodology, including its reliance on only official criminal statistics that identified those to be included in the sample as well as documenting further offending, the study’s failure to address issues related to men who have not been convicted of, but who possess, child pornography, and limitations in relation to the power of any statistical analysis that could be applied given the sample size and relatively small reoffending rates, it does tend to support the emphasis Corrections’ Special Treatment Units Kia Marama and Te Piriti place on distancing the offenders from any involvement with child pornography.
The komiti, part of a wider art class tutored by artist Robyn Hughes, is forming links with Auckland University’s art faculty. Elam School of Fine Arts students have even visited their class, with more visits planned.
Four years ago, the komiti was looking for a project and decided to donate some artworks to a community organisation.
“One of the men here found some unwanted table-tops and asked management if he could use them,” says Robyn, who is also a senior art tutor at Elam.
The table-tops now brighten a main corridor in Auckland Hospital, and another large fabric painting hangs on a pillar near the Accident and Emergency Unit.
Auckland Prison Programme Manager Mark Lynds supports the komiti’s innovative work, and says prisoners value the art classes. “They offer a new way for prisoners to view the world, or express themselves,” says Mark. In the case of the Hospital, their work is hanging in a public place much like a work at a public park, and offers an opportunity to give something back to those communities.
The Hospital morgue has an area where the family of a deceased person can stay, and doors through which the body is taken away. The komiti is designing and painting two wooden panels for these doors, says Robyn.
“They will symbolise the spiritual passing of the person into the next world.”
During the earthworks, the Spring Hill earthworks Collaborative Working Arrangement (CWA) moved 1.5 million cubic metres of dirt. This involved about 55,000 truck movements, or around 200 truck movements each day, every day, for 10 months.
“It’s remarkable that workers managed to undertake this mammoth task in a single earthmoving season. This is much faster than the industry norm of 600,000 cubic metres of dirt a season,” says Regional Prison Development Project Director John Hamilton.
“This achievement reflects the hard work and cooperation between the earthworks partners,” says John. “The CWA alliancing approach adopted by Corrections in the construction of the Facility is really showing its value.”
A CWA brings together the contractors required for a construction project into a single delivery team. Corrections’ partners in the earthworks CWA are contractors Earthtech, Henry Walker Eltin, and Multiplex. This team manages the process and shares its risk and benefits.
The end of earthworks at Spring Hill has seen construction move into the ‘out of the ground’ phase and management of the Spring Hill site transferred to the building CWA. This CWA consists of Corrections, architects Stephenson and Turner, and builders Mainzeal. Physical construction of the Facility is now underway and buildings are beginning to emerge. Construction is set to finish in 2007, and the buildings will then be fitted-out in preparation for the arrival of prisoners.
The construction of Spring Hill is one of the largest building projects in New Zealand in recent years. At the height of the building activity, up to 1,000 people will work on the site. Three of the workers are former prisoners who were trained as heavy machinery operators while at Waikeria Prison as part of the Department’s release to work scheme.
1 Seto M.C. and Eke A.W. (2005), The criminal histories and later offending of child pornography offenders, Sexual abuse: A journal of research and treatment, 17, 201-210.
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ISSN 1178-8453