Preparing to Implement the New Sentencing Structure

As a result of the new sentencing structure, it is expected that many more offenders will receive sentences that are to be served in the community instead of imprisonment.

It has been estimated that approximately 450 less prison beds will be needed, and on this basis decisions have been made not to build the additional prison capacity that would otherwise have been required.

The Department of Corrections (Community Probation & Psychological Services) has been funded, in advance, to meet the expected increase in offenders serving sentences in the community. An additional 200 probation officers and 80 supporting staff are currently being recruited.

The total number of probation officers is planned to increase from an establishment of 648.4 on 1 July 2006 to approximately 870 in June 2008. This includes increases because of increases in police numbers and new prisons.

Community-based sentences breakdown

This table shows the number of offenders starting each of the community-based sentences during 2006/07, and the number estimated to start home detention (HD) and each of the community-based sentences during 2007/08 and 2008/09.

* Home detention (front end) includes HD orders in relation to prison sentences under two years, and the new HD sentence.

**Home detention (back end) includes only HD orders in relation to prison sentences over two years.

*** Parole includes parole with residential restrictions, after 1 October 2007.

Note: The increase in the number of offenders expected to serve sentences in the community is considerably larger than the number of prison beds expected to be saved. This difference is accounted for by the average length of sentences (most are less than 12 months) and an allowance for offenders serving joint sentences.

New policies and procedures

Staff have been actively involved in the development of new and revised operational policies and procedures. These are required to:

• provide information to the courts and the New Zealand Parole Board (NZPB), and
• manage all sentences and orders served in the community, under the new sentencing regime.

All existing staff were trained in these new policies and procedures between August and October 2007, and training for all new staff is being updated to include the new information. All operations manuals, forms, and other documents are being revised and updated to take account of the changes, as is the Department of Corrections' computer system (IOMS).

Staffing changes

In this document the key staff referred to are probation officers. In most instances this will be someone who works solely as a probation officer, and holds all legal and departmental delegations associated with that role. In some cases, however, we have chosen to delegate some parts of the probation officer's role to other specialised staff.

This is particularly the case in the management of CD and CW, where specialised staff (currently known as senior community work supervisors) carry out many of the functions of a probation officer. For the purposes of this document, these staff are referred to as probation officers.

Community-based programme funding

Funding for community-based programme providers (those delivering domestic violence, sex offender, and Tikanga programmes) will be increased over a three year period. This will enable the Department of Corrections to ensure that providers are funded at a sustainable level and to increase the number of programme places available. The Ministry of Health is also increasing its provision of alcohol and other drug (AOD) services in the community.