Annual Report 2000/01

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Chief Executive's Overview

My introduction to the 2000/01 Forecast Report highlighted the first year of the Department of Corrections' strategic business plans. Now, at the end of the year, I can outline progress arising from these departmental priorities.

Yet this was not the sole focus during the year. Corrections contributed to a Government rethink of aspects of the criminal justice system, which included participating in the policy development process for Sentencing and Parole Reform legislation. The Department also made pleasing progress in reviewing existing corrections law that, when passed, will complement Sentencing and Parole Reform law changes. The Department also supported the Ministerial Taskforce on Reducing Imprisonment (subsequently released as the "About Time" report). These were all significant tasks.

This Annual Report documents achievements against other Government priority areas:

  • rebuilding the infrastructure of a corrections system in East Timor
  • reducing inequalities (pages 12-15 refer)
  • 2000 Budget initiatives for the 2000/01 year, in relation to increasing offender access to Tikanga Māori programmes, the National Certificate of Employment Skills and the development of new facilities (pages 138-139 refer).

Advances with the Department's four strategic goals, which arise from the Department's Strategic Business Plans, are detailed on pages 10 to 16. These goals aim for:

  • integrated and effective offender management, where the implementation of Integrated Offender Management was the key focal point
  • reducing re-offending by Māori, where a strategic framework was established and a number of initiatives undertaken
  • responding to increased demand, where the Regioanl Prisons Project was a keystone for activity
  • enhancing organisational capability, in order that the Department's existing infrastructure is strengthened.

Inmate telephone monitoring did not progress as anticipated. Parliament passed enabling legislation at the end of 1999. The Department completed service descriptions and system specifications, and has evaluated a suitable system.  Negotiations with service providers stalled due to ongoing funding limitations. The Department has in the interim returned, as part of the departmental surplus, all start-up funding appropriated but not used. The initiative will be reassessed in 2002/03 in the context of other departmental priorities.

The year-end has seen the Department better placed in respect to improving public safety. I see this in terms of operational performance where reductions have occured in negative performance measures within prisons, such as escapes and drug usage. Positive improvements range from the success of home detention (as an alternative to imprisonment) to integrating all our main inmate employment activities under one separate management structure, reporting to the Chief Financial Officer. These are documented in Part B of this Report.

Corrections has placed emphasis upon both efficiancy and effectiveness reporting as well. Benchmarking against like-jurisdictions overseas (pages 17-23 refer) and the development of outcome reporting (pages 25-31 refer) are strong elements of this move to greater transparency within the corrections system.

It was overall a year of activity with many major projects undertaken. I thank both staff and stakeholders for the progress made during the year.

Mark Byers
Chief Executive