Wellington prison volunteers gathered for an afternoon tea to say ‘au revoir’ and mark the temporary closure of Wellington Prison.

Following the opening of the four new regional corrections facilities and a recent fall in prisoner numbers following the implementation of the Government’s Effective Intervention package, there is currently extra capacity in a number of prisons around the country. Wellington Prison is being temporarily closed to allow essential repairs to be made while also ensuring the Department makes best use of taxpayer dollars.

Acting Prison Manager Peter Dunne paid tribute to the huge contribution of local volunteers over many years. Those sentiments were echoed by long-serving Chaplain Brother Kieran Garvey who first started work at the prison back in 1972. Reflecting on the thousands of prisoners who have passed through the facility over the years, Brother Kieran said the work of volunteers had made a significant difference to the lives of many of those men. He also had high praise for the "unique" staff at Wellington prison.

Volunteers were given the opportunity to have a last look around Unit 1 – at least for the time being. Wellington prison will be available to open at short notice if operationally necessary.

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