Prisons play an important part in the community, and the communities play an important part in prisons, Corrections Minister Judith Collins told the inaugural open day at Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility (ARWCF) today.

"Prisons are big places, and make a significant economic contribution to the communities they are in, through the people they employ, the services and products they buy, and through industries that prisoners work in," Ms Collins said. 

"Prisons are an essential part of the community in which we live. ARWCF is a great example of a prison and the community working closely together."

The open day was the first to be held at ARWCF and was designed to strengthen relationships with community groups and agencies that the ARWC works with.

Among those at the open day were local businesses, and representatives of Middlemore Hospital, Plunket, CYFS, the Mason Clinic and the Pacific Islands Advisory Committee.

Ms Collins said the days of building prisons in remote places are over. 

"Prisons need to be close to the communities from which prisoners come and to where prisoners will eventually be released."

Ms Collins said she was impressed with the number of volunteers and also the scale of employment training being undertaken at ARWCF.

ARWCF is one of New Zealand's three women's prisons and is the first purpose-built women's prison in New Zealand. The facility was designed to accommodate a growing number of female prisoners and services the upper North Island.