B.08.01.R4 Recording and reporting a prisoner's death

Recording and reporting of prisoner death

All prisoner deaths must also be recorded and reported in accordance with the requirements of PPM E.08 Incident Reporting In Prisons and PECCS.

Recording the details

A time log must be kept from when a prisoner is suspected to be dead. The log is to list pertinent times and occurrences from the time that staff first comes upon the incident scene to when the body is removed from the incident scene.

Prisoners of non-NZ citizenship

When prisoners of non-NZ citizenship die in custody, the nearest consulate or embassy must be notified of the death, giving the prisoner’s name and, if available, his / her passport number.

Liaison with the Ombudsman

The Inspectors of Corrections liaise with the Ombudsmen’s Office regarding the investigation of any death in custody.