Double bunking in prisons

Corrections takes its duty to safely manage individuals in custody extremely seriously. Double bunking has been a long-standing practice in the New Zealand prison system and is a common practice internationally.

Corrections has a range of policies, processes, and tools in place to identify and mitigate any safety concerns about double bunking. In particular, Corrections staff use a comprehensive assessment tool, the Shared Accommodation Cell Risk Assessment (SACRA), to review the compatibility of individuals before they are placed in a shared cell. The SACRA does not replace staff judgement but is an important additional tool to help inform their decision-making and minimise any potential risk.

The SACRA tool identifies key risk factors to consider before placing a person in a shared cell. The assessment captures a range of information about the person, including their age, security classification, offending history, history of imprisonment, gang affiliation, notable physical characteristics, mental health concerns and any other special needs.

If a person is deemed not suitable to double bunk, a NTDB (Not to Double Bunk) alert is activated on their IOMS (Integrated Offender Management System) profile. The NTDB alert includes the reason/s why the person is not suitable for shared cell accommodation and a person assessed as not suitable to be double bunked will be placed in a single accommodation cell.

Data set for double bunking – national and by prison

Quarterly double bunking statistics are available below. Data provided for the current financial year is as at 30 September 2025, and is subject to change until the full-year process has been completed.

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