Suicide Prevention and Postvention Action Plan 2026-2029

Read the refreshed Suicide Prevention and Postvention Action Plan PDF, 289.9 KB

Introduction

Suicide devastates lives. It impacts people we manage, their whānau, and our staff. While it affects all communities, people in prison experience significantly higher rates of suicidal behaviour than the general population.

The Department of Corrections launched the Suicide Prevention and Postvention Action Plan 2022–2025 as a first step toward reducing unnatural deaths among those we manage across Aotearoa New Zealand. Four years on, we remain steadfast in our commitment to deliberate, targeted action to address suicide among people under Corrections’ care and management.

The refreshed Action Plan sets out the further steps we will take to reduce instances of self-harm and suicide among people we manage, both in prison and in the community. It outlines work completed to date, the foundations of our approach, and builds on these to set our direction for the next three and a half years. This plan updates the original Action Plan, with targeted actions informed by lessons learned, internal and external reviews, and recommendations from the Office of the Inspectorate and Coroners’ reports. A key learning has been the need for a coordinated, Corrections-wide approach—one that brings together input and commitment from across all areas, not just mental health services.

We know that the causes of suicide are multifaceted and complex, and no single person, whānau, agency, or iwi can reduce suicide rates in Aotearoa, but every small action can make a difference. In alignment with this whakaaro, we are strongly committed to doing our part in preventing unnatural deaths, both among the people in our care and management, and across Aotearoa more broadly.