People wanting to support New Zealand-made can go one step further and buy furniture made by prisoners learning work skills that aid their rehabilitation.
Prisoners at Invercargill and Wanganui Prisons’ Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE) joinery workshops produce rimu bedroom furniture including drawers, bedheads and bedside tables for the retail market.
Prison joineries had focused on ‘jobbing work’, making knick knacks and one-offs. But Invercargill Prison CIE joinery instructor Kevin McStay and Business Manager Peter Hosegood had the idea (and perseverance) to start producing quality furniture for retail sale.
“The prisoners get a real sense of satisfaction making the furniture. They are producing quality work that is sold to the public and learning a skill as well,” says Kevin.
“Furniture production gives prisoners continuity of work and experience in a factory-type environment,” he says.
However, the demand for CIE furniture outstripped the Invercargill joinery workshop’s ability to satisfy the demand from North Islandbased suppliers keen to stock their products. In response, Peter introduced furniture production to CIE’s Wanganui Prison’s joinery work shop and it now also produces furniture for the North Island market.
The furniture has proved so successful that CIE is looking to expand to dining and living furniture.
New designs and furniture in beech and macrocapa are being considered too.
“Along with most others we can’t compete against the low-cost Chinese manufacturers so we have to position ourselves in a higher value segment where style, finish and quality perception contribute to the retail price,” says CIE Timber Sector Manager Mark Nicholls.
He says the underlying costs are different from commercial producers because labour productivity is lower, and training costs, labour turnover and product reject rates are usually higher in a prison environment. In addition, there is the cost of custodial supervision.
“While hourly labour costs appear lower, once you add in other relevant costs, the prices the products are sold at are comparable with the market generally,” Mark says.
CIE is now in discussions with the Furniture Industry Training Organisation to develop further prisoner training in various techniques and machinery use.
“Hopefully this will lead to prisoners being able to complete to a national certificate level giving them a valuable skill which will help them find work on release and so help to reduce re-offending” says Mark.
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ISSN 1178-8453