NEWS RELEASE

25 September 2007

Spring Hill Corrections Facility closes construction chapter

The new Spring Hill Corrections Facility at Hampton Downs in the Waikato will be officially opened by the Prime Minister today.

Corrections Chief Executive Barry Matthews says the 650-bed Spring Hill Corrections Facility is the largest of the four new corrections facilities constructed as part of the Regional Prisons Development Project (RPDP)

“Spring Hill will allow a greater number of prisoners from the Auckland and Waikato regions to serve their sentences close to home,” says Mr Matthews. “This is important because whanau and friends have a critical role in reducing re-offending by supporting prisoners in their rehabilitation.”

Mr Matthews says Spring Hill is deliberately designed quite differently from traditional prisons.

“We have built this facility to be a better environment to rehabilitate and reintegrate prisoners back into the community, and a better environment for our staff to work in.”

Spring Hill will provide specialist rehabilitation and reintegration programmes including a Drug Treatment Unit, a Special Treatment Unit for high-risk offenders, New Zealand’s first Pacific Focus Unit, and Self Care Units which will teach prisoners independent living skills.

Mr Matthews says while the focus is on rehabilitation and reintegration, Spring Hill incorporates robust security technology designed to keep the public and staff safe.

“The entire facility is enclosed by a highly secure perimeter wall, topped with electrical wires, with a controlled single point of entry.”

“Staff will now complete the testing and validation of the site before the first prisoners arrive in November 2007. A phased build-up of prisoners has been planned which is expected to be complete by June 2008,” says Mr Matthews.

ENDS

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