Better public value

Prioritise our resources to improve our services.


In everything we do, we will strive to deliver the best value to the New Zealand public. We will build public confidence in a corrections system that is using taxpayers’ resources wisely. We will ensure every activity contributes to our goal of reducing
re-offending and improving public safety. We will provide a work environment that supports lasting change.

Recently Corrections reviewed its organisational structure and resource utilisation. We are now operating in a new structure. This will better enable us to achieve our goal to reduce re-offending by 25 percent by 2017 within our baseline funding.

We will succeed in providing better public value by:

  • continuing to implement the Cabinet-mandated Expenditure Review results, delivering at least $22 million in savings per annum by 2015/16
  • continuing to move providers towards results-based contracts, providing incentives to be more effective in reducing re-offending
  • completing development of New Zealand’s first public/private partnership prison in 2015 with SecureFuture.

We will continue to monitor performance through:

  • our performance against budget
  • modernisation of our facilities over time
  • improved results within existing funding levels.

Effectively managing assets

Corrections will ensure that its capital assets are deployed effectively. We manage over $1.9 billion worth of facilities, including 17 prisons and 125 community probation sites.

Effective management of this portfolio is a key part of our undertaking to create lasting change. We will succeed in providing better public value through our capital and asset management programme by:

  • modernising Community Probation Services Centres, creating hubs that encourage more efficient interactions between Department staff, offenders, and service providers in the community
  • achieving savings through a greater cohesion between Corrections, New Zealand Police, and the Courts
  • co-location work, for example the collaboration work between Corrections, New Zealand Police, and the Courts to create a remand hub at New Plymouth Police Station
  • building new facilities that help to engage prisoners in work or training
  • developing long-term plans for shifting resources and operations as prisons are decommissioned.

Developing information technology

Information technology is vital to all aspects of our work. To effectively manage offenders we need information to be reliable, readily accessible, and secure. We will take advantage of new developments in technology to work faster, smarter, and more efficiently to reduce re-offending and ensure public safety.

We will succeed in providing better public value through our information technology by:

  • continuing to expand Audio Visual Link (AVL) to reduce the costs associated with offender transportation and escorting to court
  • continuing to upgrade Corrections’ core business system for offender management support
  • embedding Global Positioning System (GPS) technology as a tracking tool for high risk offenders.