Psychologists provide clinical and risk assessments and treatment for prisoners and offenders in the community and monitor the integrity of programmes. Our staff come from different backgrounds, cultures, education and experience – but they all share the ability to motivate others to make positive changes in their lives. We need more people like them to join us.

Key focus
Corrections’ psychologists provide specialist clinical assessment and treatment for offenders serving sentences in prison and in the community. Their key focus is the assessment and treatment of offending behaviour.

Corrections psychologists also:

• provide specialist pre-sentence advice to courts and specialist risk assessment reports to the New Zealand Parole Board
• monitor pre and post-sentence assessments
• contribute to the quality of programmes delivered in the Department through supervision and research
• practice collaboratively with other Corrections staff to offer oversight of offenders
• provide training, education and practice supervision for departmental staff.

Other roles
Psychologists may undertake approved research projects. In recent years psychologists have been involved in a number of treatment evaluations that demonstrate the effectiveness of psychological interventions at reducing re-offending. The results of psychologists' research into risk assessment and rehabilitative needs have led to the Department-wide adoption of these procedures.

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