The relationship between the Department and its volunteer stakeholders has been significantly boosted with the establishment of the new Prison Volunteering Advisory Group (PVAG).
National Volunteers Advisor Russell Underwood says after reviewing its volunteer policy in 2007, Corrections saw the need to form a group that would formally bring together the Department and the key volunteer organisations it works with.
These include the Prison Chaplaincy Service of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCSANZ), Prison Fellowship of New Zealand (PFNZ) and Prisoners' Aid and Rehabilitation Societies (PARS).
Russell says the PVAG will help drive the Department's commitment to consult with volunteers and their organisations on policy and operational matters that impact on them.
The PVAG's vision is to achieve 'a professionalised prison volunteering service built on the principles of community participation, diversity, self-improvement and value-added services.'
The group held its first meeting in February.
The second spin-off from the Department's review of its Volunteer Policy is that the policy has been updated to such an extent it is described as new, and a sound 'blueprint for a professional prison volunteering service, built on the principles of community participation, diversity, selfimprovement and value-added services'.
"We're fortunate in having many dedicated volunteers who between them, provide support to prisoners and their whanau 365 days a year," says Russell.
"This support can include attending to prisoners' religious and spiritual needs or providing them with recreational activity, tuition, counselling, cultural and peer support or simply acting as a 'buddy'.
"The link that volunteers create between prisoners and the community is invaluable and we recognise too the value of the skills and experience that volunteers add to those of the Department."
The new policy and operating standards can be viewed in full on the Corrections website at http://www.corrections.govt.nz/public/communityassistance/volunteers/
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ISSN 1178-8453