Our structure

The Minister of Corrections Hon Mark Mitchell is responsible for determining policy and exercising statutory powers and functions related to the Corrections portfolio.

The Minister is also responsible to Parliament for ensuring Corrections carries out its functions properly and efficiently.

Powers and functions of the Minister of Corrections

The Corrections Act 2004 creates several powers and functions such as:

• Giving general directions to the Chief Executive relating to the exercise of their powers and functions (Section 7)
• Any other powers and functions conferred under the Corrections Act 2004 or regulations made under it (Section 7)
• Setting pay rates for part-time Probation Officers
• Declaring land or buildings to be a prison or community work centre (Section 30 and Section 32)
• Requisitioning land and buildings in an emergency (Section 191)
• Approving pay rates for working prisoners (Section 66)
• Setting the cost of imprisonment so it can be deducted from the earnings of prisoners on Release to Work (Section 68)
• Consenting to the Chief Executive contracting out escort and courtroom custodial services (Section 166 and Section 170)

Chief Executive and leadership team

Rachel Leota is Acting Chief Executive. Corrections operates eight groups led by the chief executive and executive leadership team. Our one team approach ensures groups work together effectively.

The executive leadership team provides a clear and unified vision for Corrections. Working with teams across our 11 regions, the executive leadership team sets direction and develops our strategy and business plans.

Rachel Leota, Chief Executive (Acting)

Appointed Acting Chief Executive in May 2026, Rachel leads a workforce of 11,000 people who manage more than 11,000 people in prison and 26,000 people serving sentences or orders in the community.

Rachel brings extensive experience in the public sector having worked for 18 years at the Department of Corrections, and more recently as Deputy Secretary, Regulatory and Identity Services at the Department of Internal Affairs and Deputy Chief Executive, Tamariki and Whānau at Oranga Tamariki.

She has significant operational experience, alongside experience leading and innovating core service delivery, establishing new digital services and major technology replacement, and delivering performance improvements around a range of service delivery measures.

Rachel also brings significant experience working with other departments across sectors and building strategic relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including Ministers, iwi, the private sector, communities, partners and providers, and unions.

Leigh Marsh, Commissioner Custodial Services

Leigh was appointed Commissioner Custodial Services in April 2024. He joined Corrections in 2005 as a Corrections Officer at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison and has held a wide range of operational, advisory and executive leadership roles across the organisation.

Over his career, Leigh has held leadership roles in prison operations, rehabilitation, prison practice, risk management, prison safety, incident management and criminal justice system innovation. He has also led teams responsible for electronic monitoring and the delivery of community and custodial frontline services.

As Commissioner Custodial Services, Leigh is responsible for the safe, fair and humane management of people in prison and for the effective oversight and operational delivery of New Zealand's prison network. He is accountable for maintaining the resilience of the custodial system and supporting continuous improvement across prison operations.

Leigh is passionate about supporting staff to make a positive difference in the lives of the people Corrections manages, helping to create safer communities for all New Zealanders.

Emma Gardner, Deputy Chief Executive Pae Ora (Acting)

Emma Gardner commenced as Acting Deputy Chief Executive Pae Ora in September 2026. Emma is responsible for the operational delivery of health, mental health, addiction, disability, and offence-focused rehabilitation services for people on remand or serving sentences in prison and the community.

Emma first joined Corrections in 2004 as a clinical psychologist at Rimutaka Prison. She then worked in Health New Zealand as a clinician and leader for 12 years before returning to Corrections in 2018. Since 2018, she has held a range of leadership roles across rehabilitation, psychology, mental health and addiction services, including leading Corrections’ national mental health and addiction services since 2020.

Emma has extensive leadership experience across health, disability and corrections settings where she has been responsible for leading complex frontline services, organisational transformation, and system improvement. She completed a secondment with Health New Zealand in 2025, leading work to strengthen leadership, culture, and operational performance.

A registered clinical psychologist, Emma is committed to the aspirations of Hōkai Rangi and improving outcomes for people, whānau and communities through effective partnerships, evidence-informed practice, and high-quality service delivery.

Alice Sciascia, Deputy Chief Executive Strategy and Corporate Services

Alice was appointed Deputy Chief Executive, Finance, Planning and Assurance (DCE FPA) in March 2023. In April 2024 she became Deputy Chief Executive Strategy & Corporate Services (SCS).

Alice has a depth and breadth of experience in the Justice Sector, having previously been Chief Adviser System Transformation reporting to the Chief Executive of Corrections, and Director of the Justice Cluster Budget initiative on behalf of the Justice agencies.

Alice has a passion for improving New Zealand’s social systems. Previously a consultant she spent 18 years primarily advising the government’s social sector as well as community-based and Māori organisations. She is focused on enabling citizen-centric design and fundamentally believes that empowering community-led solutions is the key to New Zealand’s wellbeing. Alice has seen how necessary it is that the voice of the community is elevated and at the forefront of policy and investment decision-making.

As DCE SCS, Alice leads a team providing specialist advice and support in a range of areas through Finance, Audit, Integrity Risk and Security, Procurement, Legal Services, the Enterprise Portfolio Management Office, and Performance Analytics.

Alice is from Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga and grew up in the Horowhenua, then Hawke's Bay. She lives in Wellington with her husband and two young children.

Alastair Turrell, Deputy Chief Executive Infrastructure and Digital Assets

Nō Kotirana ōku tipuna o tōku mama, nō Ingarangi ōku tipuna o tōku papa, ko Devon te awa e rere atu ana, ko Te Nebit te Mauao e tū kaha, ko Stirling te rohe e noho whakahīhī ana, ko Campbell te iwi, ko Weir te hapū e manaaki ana, i tipu ake ahau i Waihopai, engari, kei Te Whanganui a Tara ahau e noho.

Alastair was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive in June 2022 and leads the Infrastructure and Digital Assets (IDA) team.  IDA’s responsibility is to ensure the effective provision of infrastructure and systems to enable our front-line staff and partners across the custody, community and corporate environments.  The IDA group includes National Property, Information Systems (IS), Electronic Security (ES),  National Procurement, Commercial/contracts management, and the Departments PPP commercial partnerships.

Alastair joined the Department in 2018 as Chief Digital Officer. He has led the transformation of our digital and business teams toward product-oriented working, and to enable a step change in how the Department manages and uses secure, mobile, cloud-based technology products and services.

Before joining Corrections Alastair had a career in engineering and in senior roles with NZ and international technology firms.  He has experience with large scale commercial and contract relationships, with scale build programmes and in building and deploying complex digital systems.

Herewini Te Koha, Deputy Chief Executive Māori/Tumu Herenga

Herewini Te Koha joined Corrections in May 2024 as DCE Māori / Tumu Herenga. He is of Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tamatera and Ngāpuhi descent.

Herewini brings a vast range of experience to Corrections from within the public sector and with iwi. His management career includes Tier 2 executive roles at Te Puni Kōkiri, Auckland Council, the (former) Office of Treaty Settlements and, most recently, the Cyclone Recovery Unit attached to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. He is also a former chief executive of Te Māngai Pāho and Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou and has held governance roles with Crown agencies and the voluntary sector. In 2022 Herewini was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal.

Herewini says that Ara Poutama Aotearoa has built good foundations for better reintegration of Māori people back into their whānau and communities. The DCE Māori/Tumu Herenga and team will build on this through use of Māori-focused knowledge within the Department’s service optimisation work, people capability and practice development, and partnering with whānau, iwi and Māori communities.

"Through Hōkai Rangi we have a focus on performance for Māori, purposeful partnerships with iwi and Māori communities, and on fostering our capabilities to deliver better results. I’m looking forward to furthering that good work."

Richard Waggott, Deputy Chief Executive Organisational Resilience & Safety

Ko Cheviot te maunga, ko Tyne te awa, ko North Sea te moana, ko Ingarihi te iwi, ko Richard Waggott toku ingoa. Tēnā koutou katoa.

Richard Waggott became DCE People & Capability in August 2020, making him responsible for delivering People services to over 9,000 staff across 17 prisons and 150 Community Corrections Sites.

Richard is now the DCE Organisational Resilience & Safety. The focus for this role is to support safe and resilient operations through streamlining procedures, stewardship of practice standards, supporting a learning culture of continuous improvement, and better anticipating, monitoring, managing and responding to critical operational risks.

Richard has been with Corrections since 2004 in a number of roles including DCE Corporate Services, DCE Service Development, General Manager Human Resources and Director of Learning and Development.

He has over 20 years’ experience across the public and private sector and is passionate about delivering better and fairer social outcomes through the growth and development of people.

Kei te tika te korero, Ma pango, ma whero ka oti te mahi
The saying is true, when we come together, the work gets done.

Deputy Chief Executive People & Capability

Rebecca was appointed Deputy Chief Executive People & Capability in February 2025.

Rebecca has worked for Corrections since May 2006 when she joined the organisation as an administrator. She has built extensive experience across a number of roles including media, ministerial services, and service design.

She has a Master of Public Management from Victoria University of Wellington. Rebecca lives in Wellington with her husband and young daughter.

Rebecca is passionate about ensuring that the people who work at Corrections are safe, supported, and capable in their roles.

She also cares significantly about ensuring that the Corrections system functions in a way that supports the wellbeing of people who are impacted by it, including victims of crime and the children and families of people in prison.

Quick list

• Chief Executive Corrections (Acting) – Rachel Leota
• Commissioner Custodial Services – Leigh Marsh
• Deputy Chief Executive, Communities, Partnerships, and Pathways – Sean Mason
• Deputy Chief Executive, Pae Ora - Health (Acting) – Emma Gardner
• Deputy Chief Executive, People and Capability – Rebecca Powell
• Deputy Chief Executive, Māori / Tumu Herenga – Herewini Te Koha
• Deputy Chief Executive, Organisational Resilience & Safety – Richard Waggott
• Deputy Chief Executive, Strategy & Corporate Services – Alice Sciascia
• Deputy Chief Executive, Infrastructure and Digital Assets – Alastair Turrell