25 October 2005
New Zealand's prison population is continuing to grow, reaching more than 7,500 this month.
Department of Corrections Chief Executive Barry Matthews says the Ministry of Justice prison population forecast issued earlier this year predicted numbers would peak at around 7,200 in late August/early September.
"Prisoner numbers have continued to increase steadily over the last few months - peaking at 7,550 today - due to a variety of factors. More offenders are being prosecuted as a result of higher Police clearance rates and more judges available to hear cases.
"More prisoners are serving more of their sentences as a result of the Parole Act 2002, and there are more offenders being remanded in custody as a result of the Bail Act 2000. We are also seeing more offenders going to prison and staying in prison for longer as a result of the Sentencing Act 2002."
Mr Matthews is pleased with the Employment Court's decision on Corrections' appeal against a decision of the Employment Relations Authority on the definition of maximum capacity of a prison.
"The decision confirms our view that it is only when prisoners across a prison site are locked down that the maximum operating capacity applies."
The practice of using prison vans parked outside Mt Eden Prison during "lock down" to avoid exceeding the Prison's agreed maximum capacity of 421 was a short-term measure that has now been discontinued.
Corrections has been working closely with Police and the Ministry of Justice to manage the increased prisoner numbers, says Mr Matthews.
Corrections has a Memorandum of Understanding with the New Zealand Police to use some of its cells to accommodate remand prisoners who can't be accommodated at a local prison. Under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Justice, Corrections has also been using some court cells to accommodate low security sentenced prisoners.
"We are very grateful for their cooperation, and for the professionalism and dedication of Corrections staff," says Mr Matthews.
"Prison staff and managers in particular have worked hard over the last 10 months to manage the situation. The fact we have done so without a significant increase in the number of incidents is testament to their efforts."
Over the last eight months Corrections' construction programme has added 670 beds to the prison system. Another 173 beds are due to come on-stream progressively through to mid-2006. The Northland Region Corrections Facility, which opened in March, will achieve its maximum capacity of 350 prisoners this week.
Three new corrections facilities are also being constructed that, with the new Northland Region Corrections Facility, will add 1600 beds to the prison system. The Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility will open in 2006, followed by the Otago Region Corrections Facility and the Spring Hill Corrections Facility in 2007.