Prisoners building brighter futures

14 October

Spring Hill Corrections Facility prisoners are using their construction trades skills to build a new e-learning centre for the rural school, Glen Massey - situated just out of Ngaruawahia.

Corrections Inmate Employment Business Development Manager Win McDonald says the project will help to build brighter futures for both the prisoners and the students. 

“Glen Massey School needed to expand its learning spaces and recently received funding to build a new e-learning centre. PLB Construction, our strategic alliance partner, won the tender and provided prisoners the opportunity to build the new centre at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility building construction yard.

“It’s really worked out to be a positive situation for all concerned because the students have increased learning space and prisoners have the opportunity to learn valuable trade skills.”

Research shows that prisoners who find sustainable employment on release are less likely to re-offend. The last prison census showed that 55 per cent of prisoners did not have a job before entering prison and 52 per cent had no formal qualifications.

Win says building learning centres are another step forward to training prisoners in the building construction industry. Prisoners are learning about lighting and ventilation, improving energy efficiency and creating healthy buildings.

“The construction facility was opened three months ago when we negotiated a contract to refurbish around 40 state houses a year for Housing New Zealand. It maintains an outdoor refurbishment yard and workshop within the prison.

“We have nine instructors who teach prisoners trade skills in painting, plastering, electricity, carpentry, plumbing and timber joinery. We aim to have more than 90 prisoners employed in this construction facility.

“It has been great for the prisoners to establish a building from foundation up and we look forward to tendering for further classrooms and e-learning centres in the future, especially with the growing demands in the North Island.”

Ministry of Education figures show the estimated populations for five to 12 year olds will grow most in Hamilton, North Shore, Waitakere and Auckland over the next five years.

CIE aims to provide a range of initiatives to improve prisoners’ employment skills, training and formal qualifications whilst they are serving their sentence.

CIE assesses market trends to identify industries with skill shortages within the geographical areas that prisoners are likely to be released. CIE then provides training and employment opportunities within these types of sectors to upskill prisoners. The aim is to increase prisoners’ chances of obtaining meaningful employment on release while helping to ease some of the regional skills shortages.

If you have a business opportunity that you believe CIE can help you with, please contact: cie.worktraining@corrections.govt.nz.

For further information contact the Communications Services Desk:
Phone: (04) 460 3365
Email: commdesk@corrections.govt.nz