Number of escapes hit record low

Figures released today by the Department of Corrections show the number of escapes from New Zealand prisons have reached a record low.
Assistant General Manager Prison Services Leanne Field says there were 12 escapes in the 2008/09 financial year. This compares to 89 escapes when the Department was established in 1996/97 and 23 escapes in the 2007/08 financial year.

“This is a great result and a reflection of the excellent work of staff, the significant investment in prison security and recent improvements to systems and processes,” says Ms Field.

“Improvements to prison security over recent years include enhancing perimeter fencing, installing detection and surveillance systems, introducing single points-of-entry into prisons and an improved intelligence capability.”
Ms Field says the vast majority of escapes last year were walkaway escapes, which occur when low security prisoners walk away from their place of supervision, such as a work gang on a prison farm.

“Work parties are integral to reducing re-offending because they provide prisoners with basic employment training and help prepare them for release. However, given the nature of the work they undertake, there is an increased opportunity for them to escape,” says Ms Field.

“To reduce this risk, we have completed a review of the eligibility of prisoners to be employed on work parties and we are critically looking at our security classification system to ensure it is adequately measuring a prisoner’s escape risk.”

Ms Field says that while it is pleasing to have so few escapes, the Department was determined to further reduce the escape rate.

“While our escape rate is better then many comparable countries, including the United Kingdom, it is our duty to ensure prisoners are securely incarcerated in our custody and when prisoners escape we have failed in our duty.

“Even with the best systems and processes in place, prisoners will think of ever inventive ways of escaping. We are determined to keep one step ahead of them to prevent them from succeeding.”

ENDS

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