The Office of the Inspectorate today released reports into Manawatu Prison and Auckland Prison (Paremoremo), the first
two resulting from a programme of inspections of New Zealand prisons.
“In the interests of transparency and public accountability, the Office of the Inspectorate has committed to releasing
public reports of all its scheduled prison inspections,” said Chief Inspector Janis Adair.
The Office of the Inspectorate is part of the Department of Corrections, but is required to act independently in its
inspections and other investigations.
Last year the Office of the Inspectorate’s role was enhanced and its functions were expanded to include scheduled prison
inspections. The inspections aim to provide a ‘window into prisons’, identify areas of innovation and good practice, and
provide early warning about emerging challenges that need to be addressed.
Inspectors assess prisons against internationally accepted ‘healthy prison’ standards which consider all aspects of life
in prison with a particular focus on safety, humane treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration.
The reports will help prison directors drive a programme of continuous improvement in each prison, ensuring that any
shortcomings are addressed quickly and examples of good practice are shared.
“Manawatu Prison’s staff and management were doing the best they could under complex and challenging circumstances, not
all of which were under the prison’s direct control,” said Ms Adair.
“Influencing factors included a challenging physical environment, limits on resources, and staffing pressures partly
caused by the growing national prison population.”
Ms Adair said she had been heartened by the prison’s response to the inspection. Management responded by developing a
comprehensive action plan to address the concerns raised. The plan included more than 80 action points, and the prison
had already made significant progress towards its implementation.
“The Auckland Prison report found that security was a constant challenge and violent incidents sometimes occurred.
However, inspectors found that violence was not widespread within the prison. It found that the prison managed safety
and security matters reasonably well. “
Prisoner-staff relationships were generally positive, and prisoners said violence was not common and tended to be
isolated to younger gang members, Ms Adair said.
The prison offered a wide range of rehabilitation and training programmes, and work experience opportunities. The case
management approach meant that prisoners were supported throughout their sentences, and as they were released into the
community.
Since the inspection, the prison had taken steps to strengthen security where necessary in its maximum security units,
and increased training to ensure that staff understood their tactical options when responding to incidents.
As well as conducting a programme of prison inspections, the Office of the Inspectorate carries out investigations into
complaints from people under Correction’s management, investigates all deaths in custody, and can be tasked to carry out
special investigations.
Ends
Links to reports on Corrections’ website: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about_us/who_we_are/office_of_the_inspectorate/media_release_prison_inspection_reports_first_for_office_of_the_inspectorate.html
Response from Department of Corrections: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news/latest_news/corrections_invests_in_improvements_at_auckland_and_manawatu_prisons.html