The Department’s recently published Statement of Intent July 2009-June 2010 is a key document that outlines how we will improve public safety by ensuring sentence compliance and reducing re-offending through capable staff and effective partnerships.
The statement is well worth reading for a comprehensive overview of the changing environment in which we work and the initiatives we have in place to deal with the challenges ahead.
The 2009 Budget announcement from the government, and the wider economic picture, will have a huge impact on how we manage offenders in the coming years.
The Budget has provided us with considerable funding to enable our Community Probation & Psychological Services (CPPS) to deal with ever-increasing community-based offender volumes and to improve the quality of service delivery.
Taxpayers need to see us spending their money wisely. They need to have confidence that we will manage offenders effectively and make New Zealand a safer place to live. The formation of the expert panel to improve the management of offenders on parole demonstrates strongly to the public that we are improving CPPS and working towards a culture of continuous improvement.
The Budget has also provided funding to help us manage the forecast increase in prisoner numbers through double-bunking (where two prisoners share a cell). Double-bunking is not a new initiative – in fact, 21 per cent of prison beds are already in shared cells. However, as with any change to usual practice, there are important issues to be considered, especially when the change could have an effect on staff safety and the good order of our prisons.
Corrections is committed to talking these issues through with staff and unions. Given the challenges ahead, we will more than ever need to work together. We also need to be realistic and appreciate the significance of the global recession and its impact on New Zealand taxpayers.
The year is already half over, but I am confident we have a focused and productive six months ahead of us.
Barry Matthews
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ISSN 1178-8453