New Prison Performance Tables

New prison performance tables reveal that the majority of our prisons are operating effectively or better.

The latest table shows six are exceeding their performance targets, eight are operating effectively and three are needing improvement. Measures are already in place to lift performance further.

“These results are very good,” says Dr Brendan Anstiss, National Commissioner, Corrections Services. “We haven't had a single escape, walkaway or unnatural death in all the periods reviewed.”

Each prison is given a performance grade of Exceptional, Exceeding, Effective, or Needs Improvement and this is determined in a series of steps.

An escape, or unnatural death can be the difference between the categories, or an increase in assaults can also have this effect.

These same incidents can also explain how a prison can go from needs improvement to effective from one quarter to another.

Of course the most recent quarter has the greatest effect on the results, with previous quarters having less effect the further back they are.

The three prisons in the needing improvement category are doing just that.

At Otago, Hawkes Bay and Northland they’re working on reducing the number of assaults on staff and prisoners in both the serious and non-serious categories.

In Otago the percentage of prisoners progressing in literacy education will be lifted following improvements in the percentage of prisoners completing programmes, and the percentage of initial offender plans delivered on time.

Hawkes Bay has an exceptional level of rehabilitation and in Otago and Northland its rehabilitation programmes are proving effective.

Prisons with large numbers of remand, high and maximum security prisoners are treated differently from prisons with more low and minimum security prisoners, and their results are weighted so there’s an even playing field and performances can be compared.

The table also ensures that one off serious events don’t unfairly skew performance down over time.

“We've got an ambitious target and hence the bar is set very high for our performance. Over the last year our prisons have improved their performance offering prisoners greater opportunities to get the right skills.”

ENDS

Note to reporters:
The tables can be found at this link:
http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/facts_and_statistics/prison_performance_tables/prison_performance_tables.html

There are three steps to determine a prison’s overall rating.

At the first level key security measures like escapes and unnatural deaths will be checked. If any of these occur the prison will be classified as needing improvement, no matter how well it’s doing in the next two measures.

At the next level internal prison issues like the number of complaints, drug testing results, assaults etc are measured. If these are not up to standard the prison will be classified as needing improvement.

The third level measures some aspects of our ultimate goal of reducing re-offending, by increasing participation in programmes allowing prisoners to gain job skills and real jobs.

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