Actions to be taken to Credit, Process and Close a Prisoner’s Account
The following are undertaken to credit, process and close a prisoner’s account:
- Money "found" on a prisoner, or in his / her cell to which ownership is determined as being of that prisoner, is credited to his / her Trust account.
- Money "found" to which the Prison Manager considers that no person has any claim, is paid into the Prisons Service Group Bank.
- All external banking transactions are arranged by mail between the prisoner and the bank concerned.
- A minimum of two bankings should be completed each week so that any cash / cheques held on the premises are banked in a timely manner.
- All dishonoured cheques are presented again or returned to sender and the relevant prisoner account is debited.
- The Trust Clerk makes latest individual prisoner’s account balances available at least weekly to Custodial staff (if requested).
- Documentation is filed in date order, securely stored, is readily available for internal control checks or audit, and retained for 10 years from the date of the transaction.
- Prison Trust Account money is not invested, without the permission of the Prisons Service Manager Finance & Business Development.
Trust Account Fees
All Department of Corrections Trust Accounts held with Westpac Branches in New Zealand are exempt of the following account keeping fees:
- Monthly base fee
- Activity fee
- Clearance fee
- Stop cheque fee
Foreign Currency
Where foreign currency is received for crediting to the Trust Account:
- Contact the Trust Account Bank for the current exchange rate.
- Credit the currency to the prisoner's personal Trust account.
- Bank the currency on the same day.
- Commit the amount of the currency until funds are available.
