The relationship between Corrections and the Office of the Ombudsmen has been clarified in a high-level strategic agreement.
The agreement, signed by Chief Executive Barry Matthews and Chief Ombudsman John Belgrave, is the second in recent months. It follows a memorandum of understanding completed with Police in September.
The new protocol clarifies and formalises an existing agreement, says Senior Adviser Standards and Compliance Ilya Tabachnik.
“The protocol is a statutory agreement under the Corrections Act 2004, and replaces what we had previously under the Penal Institutions Act 1954,” he says.
A key change is the extension of the Ombudsmen’s interest in prisons, to also include Probation and Offender Services.
“We’ve clarified the existing arrangement around Ombudsmen visits to prisons, and included places like community work centres and probation offices,” Ilya says.
The agreement also covers the
Ombudsmen’s role in investigating deaths in custody, and the information and reporting timeframes that apply. An Ombudsman can be part of any investigation, but may choose not to be.
Prisoner complaint provisions have been extended to include all offender complaints, and fundamental administration processes have also been tightened.
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ISSN 1178-8453