Prison visit updates

Last updated: 05 Aug 2022

We know how important visits from friends and whānau/family are to people in prison and to supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration.

Following a long period of significant restrictions due to COVID-19, some prisons have now resumed face-to-face visits.

Like many other agencies and businesses, we are currently experiencing a number of staffing challenges, including an increase in COVID-19 and seasonal flu sickness. This impacts our ability to facilitate face-to-face visits safely.

Face-to-face visits will resume at sites when we are able to safely facilitate them.

COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required for private visitors to people in prison, this includes friends and whānau visiting people in prison. We strongly encourage all visitors to prison to be vaccinated and boosted, and to take a Rapid Antigen Test and return a negative result at home prior to visiting a prison.

While we do our best to ensure planned visits go ahead, there may be times where visits need to be cancelled at short notice, or when we need to restrict visits in the event of an outbreak. We will try to give advance notice to visitors where possible if this occurs.

Not all prisons will be ready to resume visits at the same time, depending on levels of COVID-19 at different sites, and staffing available.

The safety and wellbeing of our staff, the community, and people in prison is our highest priority, and visits will resume in individual prisons when they can be safely undertaken.

Video calling will continue to be used, particularly where face-to-face visits remain paused.

Vaccination requirements

Please see the list below for more information on our vaccination entry requirements to prisons.

Proof of vaccination

If you are required to be vaccinated to enter a prison ‘inside the wire’, you must show us proof of your vaccination status each time you enter a prison.

Please ensure you bring proof of your vaccination status. Bring a physical copy of your My Vaccine Pass or My COVID Record; and valid photo ID with you. Remember, you can’t bring mobile phones into prison.

You can apply for your My Vaccine Pass at www.mycovidrecord.nz.

COVID-19 Vaccination Entry Requirements