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A new trade training complex at Christchurch Men’s Prison will prepare prisoners to help in the rebuilding of Christchurch, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

The three workshops will provide training in plumbing, roofing and drainlaying, painting and decorating, and automotive engineering to around 130 extra prisoners annually.

Ms Collins, who officially opened the workshops this morning, says prisoners will be prioritised for training based on their upcoming release date and their willingness to help in Christchurch.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections
  • Earthquake Recovery

Two new Bills introduced into Parliament today will enhance prison security and improve the management of both prisoners and offenders on community sentences, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said.

The Corrections Amendment Bill and the Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill make a number of changes to the legislation that governs the corrections system.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

The Government’s pledge to increase the number of prisoners engaged in work training and skills development by 1000 has been achieved a year ahead of schedule, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

The Prisoner Skills and Employment Strategy, launched by the Government in 2009, aimed to increase the number of prisoners engaged in work training and skills development by 1,000 over three years.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

An audio-visual link between Manukau District Court and Mt Eden Corrections Facility went live today, Justice Minister Simon Power and Corrections Minister Judith Collins announced today.

AVL technology allows prisoners to appear in court by video link rather than in person. It is used mainly for procedural hearings, such as list appearances, call-overs, and bail hearings. It can be used for trials, but only with the consent of the defendant.

  • Simon Power
  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections
  • Justice

Kia ora and good morning.

It’s a pleasure to be with you today to open this Drug Treatment Unit – the ninth such unit operating out of New Zealand prisons.

I would like to make a special welcome today to CareNZ Chief Executive Tim Harding and his team.

Tim, your organisation has long affiliations with the Department of Corrections.

You have been running most of the Department’s Drug Treatment Units for almost 15 years.

Today we celebrate another milestone in this partnership.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

Corrections Minister Judith Collins today opened a new Drug Treatment Unit (DTU) at Whanganui Prison which will provide specialist drug treatment for around 130 prisoners a year.

The DTU is the third such facility opened in the past 16 months. Otago Corrections Facility opened its DTU in June 2010 while Auckland Prison’s DTU was opened in November last year. The Whanganui DTU brings to nine the number of DTUs in New Zealand prisons.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

Mothers who have a baby while in prison will be able to keep the child with them for two years following the opening of two Mother and Baby Units this week.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins today opened a Mother and Baby Unit at Christchurch Women’s Prison. Tomorrow Ms Collins will open a unit at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility.

Until now, mothers who had babies while in prison were able to keep the infant with them for only nine months.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

The number of prisoners gaining NZQA qualifications has increased 159 percent over the past three years, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

In the last financial year 711 National Certificates were awarded to prisoners, compared with just 275 in 2008/09.

“National Certificates are real qualifications that will help prisoners find real jobs when they are released from prison,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

Corrections Minister Judith Collins today joined Corrections staff at Rimutaka Prison as they farewelled the green uniform that have been in service for more than 30 years.

From today, Corrections staff around the country will wear a new blue uniform following the first comprehensive review of the Corrections Officer uniform since 1976.

“Most people wouldn’t want to be wearing the same style of clothing they had in the 1970s. Our Corrections staff are no different,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

Justice Minister Simon Power and Corrections Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the rollout of court audio-visual links (AVL) to Hamilton.

The Hamilton AVL facility links Hamilton District Court with Waikeria Prison and is the second of four court/correction facilities to receive the technology.

AVL allows prisoners to appear in court by video link rather than in person. It is used mainly for procedural hearings, such as list appearances, call-overs, and bail hearings. It can also be used for trials, but only with the consent of the defendant.

  • Simon Power
  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections
  • Justice

Corrections Minister Judith Collins today congratulated Corrections Department staff for the successful implementation of a smoking ban across all prisons in New Zealand.

The ban has been in place since 1 July. It followed 12 months of careful planning and preparation by Corrections staff, supported by the Ministry of Health and Quitline.

“I would like to congratulate the Corrections Department for the successful implementation of this policy,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

The Corrections Department is introducing a new case management model that will boost the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

The new approach will see specialised case managers working closely with individual prisoners from the beginning to the end of their sentence.

To support this new approach, the Department has employed 177 case managers, and will shortly start recruiting for another 50. This will enable 227 case managers to work directly with prisoners to reduce their risk of re-offending.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

More staff and improved work practices have resulted in Community Probation Services (CPS) doubling community work compliance rates since 2009, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said.

Speaking at the official opening of the Blenheim CPS Service Centre today, Ms Collins said the Government’s $256 million investment in CPS was paying off. CPS manages 45,000 offenders who are on parole or serving community based sentences.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

Whare Oranga Ake opening a national milestone

Associate Corrections Minister Dr Pita Sharples says the openings, today and tomorrow, of the first two Whare Oranga Ake, are a milestone for New Zealand’s approach to law and order.

“I believe this unique institution is going to revolutionise our society, and reform the way New Zealand, and the world, reintegrates offenders into our communities,” said Dr Sharples.

  • Pita Sharples
  • Corrections

The number of escapes from New Zealand prisons is at a record low, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said.

In the last financial year there were four escapes from Corrections custody with only two from jails. This compares to nine escapes in the previous financial year and 23 in 2007/08.

“This great result is due to more sophisticated perimeter fencing, new detection and surveillance systems, improved intelligence and single points of entry into our prisons,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

A bill which makes offending against Police and Corrections officers an aggravating factor at sentencing has been welcomed back from select committee by Justice Minister Simon Power and Police and Corrections Minister Judith Collins.

Mr Power said the Sentencing (Aggravating Factors) Amendment Bill reflected the Government's wish to explicitly denounce in legislation attacks on Police and Corrections officers.

  • Simon Power
  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections
  • Justice

Doubling the number of prisoners receiving drug and alcohol rehabilitation is targeting one of the key drivers of crime, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

Drugs and alcohol are major drivers of crime in New Zealand and two-thirds of prisoners entered prison with drug and alcohol problems.

As part of the Drivers of Crime strategy, the Government is doubling the number of places within prison drug treatment units. In 2009/10 Corrections spent $137.5 million on rehabilitation and reintegration. This is 15 percent of its budget.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

Kim Workman is wrong and he should know better, says Corrections Minister Judith Collins.

Ms Collins was responding to comments made today by Mr Workman in which he again claimed that recidivism rates rose from 55.4 percent in 2005 to 61.9 percent in 2010.

“What Mr Workman is deliberately not saying is that the 61.9 percent figure he is quoting is from the Department’s 2009/10 Annual Report and is the number of prisoners who re-offended in the two years following their release from prison,” says Ms Collins.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

The Government’s commitment to rehabilitating prisoners is contributing to a levelling off in the prison muster, says Corrections Minister Judith Collins.

“The number of prisoners behind bars has been tracking well below forecast over the last few months and there are now 270 less people in prison than expected,” says Ms Collins.

“At the same time, we have record numbers of prisoners involved in drug and alcohol treatment, employment and work skills training, as well as numeracy and literacy education,” says Ms Collins.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

A six-month pilot programme to test audio-visual links between Auckland District Court and Mt Eden Corrections Facility has been a success, Justice Minister Simon Power and Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

The pilot, which ran from September last year to the end of February this year, was a joint project between the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Corrections. It followed the passing of the Courts (Remote Participation) Act, which enables greater use of audio-visual link technology to simplify and speed up the criminal justice system.

  • Simon Power
  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections
  • Justice

The new Gisborne Community Probation Service (CPS) centre will enable a bigger team of probation officers to better manage community offenders in the area, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said.

The new centre, which opened today, will provide management of all community based sentences and orders such as home detention, community detention, parole, release conditions from prison, supervision, intensive supervision and community work.

“Centres such as this one play an important role in creating safer communities,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

The new Franklin District Community Probation Service (CPS) centre will be a step forward for management of community offenders in the area, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said.

Ms Collins opened the centre today, which brings the area’s probation staff together under one roof. Previously, they managed offenders out of two locations.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

The first prison unit built of recycled shipping containers in New Zealand has outperformed expectations in its first year of operation, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

The unit at Rimutaka Prison was opened last June and is housing 60 prisoners in double-bunked cells.

It was built in response to a projected shortage of prison beds due to a lack of planning by the previous Government. The container cell block, along with expanded use of double-bunking averted the capacity crisis.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections

Corrections Minister Judith Collins announced today that more prisoners would receive trade and employment training to help meet the demand for these skills in the Christchurch recovery.

“The second Christchurch earthquake has generated a huge demand for trade skills as the rebuild gets underway. To meet this demand, the Department of Corrections will be ramping up trade training in the areas of highest demand,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Corrections
  • Earthquake Recovery