The Inquiry report into the management of Tony Douglas Robertson before and after his release from prison is being released today by Justice Minister Amy Adams and Corrections Minister Judith Collins.
New Zealand has affirmed its commitment to combat bribery following the conclusion of the London Anti-Corruption Summit today.
“We have made a number of commitments which build on the work New Zealand has done in recent years and will help to maintain our reputation as one of the least corrupt countries in the world,” says Police Minister Judith Collins, representing Prime Minister John Key at the Summit hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2016.
Police Minister, Judith Collins will represent the Prime Minister at the London Anti-Corruption Summit being hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2016.
The Summit will promote the importance of exposing corruption, punishing those responsible and supporting those who have suffered, and driving out the culture of corruption, where it exists.
Children visiting their mothers in prison on Mother’s Day this Sunday can look forward to a special day, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
Corrections staff have organised a range of activities to acknowledge Mother’s Day for visiting children and their mothers in prison.
Approximately 20,000 children in New Zealand have a parent in prison, and days like Mother’s Day can be a very difficult day for them.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has congratulated the 37 graduates who today started their new roles as Corrections Officers and Offender Employment Instructors across the country.
“The Corrections Officer Development Pathway is an intensive 12 months of training and I commend each of the new graduates on their dedication and achievement,” says Ms Collins.
A pilot to support judges to make better informed family violence bail decisions expands to Wellington, Wairarapa and Northland, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Police Minister Judith Collins have announced today.
The pilot programme gives judges making bail decisions in family violence cases more information about the risks defendants pose.
Corrections is better utilising technology to improve the safety of community Corrections staff and hold offenders to account Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
Corrections has developed the staff safety mobile phone application (SSA) to enhance existing safety procedures and protocols and gives probation officers the ability to easily contact their office if they are concerned for their safety while visiting an offender’s home.
A kakapo chick rearing facility in Invercargill upgraded with the help of offenders carrying out community work is playing a vital role in the species’ recovery, Corrections Minister Judith Collins and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.
The most vulnerable kakapo chicks hatched during this year’s record breeding season are being hand-reared at the site, a converted building offered by the Invercargill City Council.
The centre is needed for chicks which have fallen ill, or were not putting on sufficient weight in the wild.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has welcomed Corrections’ latest drug and alcohol strategy released today.
The strategy, Breaking the Cycle: Our Drug and Alcohol Strategy through to 2020 will set the direction for how Corrections manages alcohol and other drug treatment and misuse among offenders.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins visited Rolleston Prison today as the thirty-fourth house to be refurbished at the prison left the Construction Yard to return to the community.
The Construction Yard is a partnership project between Corrections and Housing New Zealand.
It provides offenders with the opportunity to gain employable trade skills and qualifications while they refurbish quake-damaged Housing New Zealand homes.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins today opened the new Ashburton Community Corrections site at 5 Mona Square.
The new site is part of a $70 million nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure and better equipped to support offenders to turn their lives around.
The site manages 120 offenders serving 163 community-based sentences and orders including home detention and community work
Corrections Minister Judith Collins welcomed 37 new Corrections Officers and Offender Employment Instructors who graduated today from their 12 month Corrections Officer Development Pathway programme.
“The role of a Corrections Officer is challenging. Being a role model and shaping the lives of some of society’s most difficult members is not one to be taken lightly,” says Ms Collins.
The new staff will be based at prisons in Northland, Hawke’s Bay, Whanganui, Manawatu, Christchurch and Otago.
As part of the Government’s commitment to a more integrated, more effective response to family violence, an innovative new approach is to be piloted in Christchurch from 1 July, Ministers have announced.
The Integrated Safety Response pilot will bring together a team of Police, CYF, Corrections, Health, specialist family violence NGOs and Māori service providers to support victims and their families.
The pilot is part of the comprehensive cross-agency work programme overseen by the Ministerial Group on Family Violence and Sexual Violence.
Honey produced by bees in hives at Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison is feeding families in the Hastings area, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
Almost 38 kg of honey was extracted from the hives in the Young Offenders Unit when the first extraction of the season took place recently.
“This is a terrific example of giving back to the community. Prisoners are learning real life employment skills and gaining a qualification that will help them on release.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has today visited Upper Hutt Community Corrections to view safety and security enhancements designed to keep frontline Corrections staff safe while doing their job.
“Safety and security features were demonstrated at Upper Hutt Community Corrections, which had a $4.68 million refurbishment last year that included upgrading the site’s security and technology.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has today attended the launch of a new initiative; Seedlings, Grow, Cook and Eat that will see prisoners in self-care units growing their own seasonal vegetables and using them to cook basic nutritious meals at Spring Hill Corrections Facility.
Corrections is to receive $8 million from Serco to cover the costs of Corrections Stepping-In last July to manage Mt Eden Corrections Facility, as well as settling performance notices, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
“An agreement with Serco has also been reached that effectively narrows down the contractual arrangements with Serco to a labour supply agreement with other transition services for the balance of the contract through to 31 March 2017,” Ms Collins says.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins today recognised the importance of the Howard League’s Literacy programme in Hawke's Bay Regional Prison.
Speaking at the graduation of three prisoners from the programme, Ms Collins expressed the significance of being able to read and write.
“Nearly 65 per cent of the men and women in prison are below NCEA level one literacy and numeracy. Without basic literacy and numeracy skills, prisoners are limited in their ability to gain qualifications and secure employment.
The Department of Corrections’ new Timaru Community Corrections site was officially opened today, said Corrections Minister Judith Collins.
“The new site redevelopment, which cost $2.4 million, is part of a $70 million nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure and better equipped to support offenders to turn their lives around.
“The new site will enable Corrections to provide more rehabilitation and educational programmes and it offers improved security and working conditions for staff.
Cash and assets worth around $382 million have been seized under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act which enables Police to confiscate the proceeds of crime, Police Minister Judith Collins says.
The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act allows Police to seize assets believed to be the proceeds of crime with or without a criminal conviction.
Funds recovered under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act are used to fund law enforcement initiatives.
A new process for Corrections to notify Child Youth and Family about released prisoners who may pose a risk to children has begun, Corrections Minister Judith Collins announced today.
“In January it was revealed that Corrections did not have an automatic procedure for advising Child, Youth and Family when a convicted child abuser is released from prison. This has now been rectified.
New Zealand’s first multi-agency Gang Intelligence Centre is now operational and collecting intelligence on gang activity, says Police Minister Judith Collins.
"The Gang Intelligence Centre is one of the four initiatives in the Government’s Gang Action Plan. It provides an intelligence-led response to gangs, bringing together information held by Social Development, Customs, Corrections, Internal Affairs, Immigration and Police.
The number of prisoners testing positive in random drug tests has reached an all-time low, Corrections Minister Judith Collins announced today.
“For the year ended 31 December 2015 there were more than 4500 general random drug tests on prisoners. The rate of positive results was 3.1 percent. In comparison, the rate of positive results in 2009/10 was 10 per cent and in 2000/2001 it was 22 percent.
More than 6,000 referrals have been made to an innovative post-release support programme for short- serving prisoners and remandees, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
The reintegration programme, called Out of Gate, commenced in 2013 with $10 million from the Justice Sector fund. Due to promising early results, Corrections was granted another $5 million from the Justice Sector Fund in Budget 2015 to extend the programme. Corrections contracts with providers to support offenders immediately upon their release from prison.
