Most Corrections staff are aware of the Office of the Ombudsmen’s report on the detention and treatment of prisoners released in December. There is much in it we can take satisfaction from: the report identified a consensus among both prisoners and staff that our practices are generally fair and it found no culture of abuse or ill-treatment of prisoners. (See story on page 6.)
Nevertheless, when there is such a detailed inquiry, things will be found that can done better. The key areas identified for improvement could be summarised as providing more work and rehabilitation support for prisoners so they can more easily reintegrate into the community upon release.
As Chief Executive, I readily acknowledge that there is more we can do and steps to progress this were already underway when the report came out. Key among them was the appointment of
Phil McCarthy who begins this year as the first General Manager Integration and is charged with leading our initiatives aimed at reintegrating offenders into their communities.
With Maori making up more than half the offender population, Phil’s efforts will inevitably include extending the mutually beneficial relationships with Maori communities that we already have. Our kaitiaki have already made significant contributions in the design of our facilities and I look forward to further involvement of hapu and whanau in sentence management and reintegration of offenders when they have completed their sentences.
Our new Maori Cultural Practice Guidelines will also protect traditional values while ensuring Corrections has a framework that provides for equality for all.
Already, we have had several mihi whakatau which provides a less formal ceremony than the powhiri and Hamilton community residential centre Montgomery House has held a powhiri where it is an essential part of rehabilitation for Maori offenders.
We are getting feedback from Maori and staff - many positive and some suggest areas where we can refine our practices.
The cost of building new facilities has also attracted attention in the media, with the sugestion we have been underestimating costs on a grand scale. In fact, we added 700 new beds last year, on time and on budget. Costs are higher in the three facilities still to be completed, partly because bed numbers have nearly doubled from the 650 originally planned to 1271. Add to that a very buoyant construction sector and you have another level of cost increases that are largely beyond our control.
The rapid and unplanned increase in the prison muster poses a big challenge to us all, not just to those building prisons. But it’s one we cannot shirk because of the considerable social and financial costs of imprisonment.
Much of the content of the Ombudsmen’s report is not new. We all know, for instance, that containment on its own is not enough. The best thing in the report is that it also identified strong support for moving forward on its key recommendations from Corrections Officers themselves.
I look forward to joining you to meet the Ombudmen’s challenge.
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