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Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga hosted a breakfast today for more than 80 employers in a bid to help find jobs for offenders and reduce reoffending.

The employer engagement breakfast in Auckland, which was also attended by Prime Minister John Key, gave some of New Zealand’s biggest employers the chance to hear about the work Corrections is doing to provide offenders with job skills.

Employers who are already onboard with the programme also shared their experiences of hiring offenders.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today signed an agreement which will see offenders engaged in conservation work and learning new skills at the same time.

Under the Good to Grow partnership between Corrections and the Department of Conservation (DOC), offenders on community sentences will help look after DOC sites, upgrade and maintain tracks and help to win the War on Weeds across the country.

Corrections is piloting a new programme aimed at stopping repeat drink-drive offending, says Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

Corrections has obtained Justice Sector funding for the pilot programme in which it will fund alcohol interlock devices which immobilise a vehicle if alcohol is detected on the breath of the driver.

“This funding will help offenders keep to their sentences. It means offenders will not be able to drive their vehicle unless they can successfully pass a breath alcohol test,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially opened the new Community Corrections site in Palmerston North.

The new building 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.

A record high number of offenders serving community sentences have enrolled in Corrections-funded work and living skills interventions.

In the last financial year the number of offenders throughout the country enrolled in work and living skills interventions (WLS) interventions increased to 5152.

In the 2014 financial year the number was about 600.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has today opened a new wing at Rimutaka Prison’s High Dependency Unit to care for more ageing prisoners.

The new wing has 10 beds, taking the total number of beds at the unit to 30. 

A walkway with a ramp for wheelchair and walker access links the new wing to the original unit.

The unit was established in 2012 to meet the needs of prisoners with ongoing and complex health or disability needs.  It is the only one of its kind in New Zealand.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has launched new programmes to improve the literacy and numeracy of prisoners.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Methodist Mission Southern have been contracted by Corrections to deliver the intensive literacy and numeracy programmes in all Corrections-run prisons, giving priority to learners with the highest educational needs.

Whanganui Prison’s refurbished west wing has been officially opened today as part of a more than $19 million upgrade of prisoner accommodation at the site, says Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

The prison’s east and west wings, with a total of 141 beds, have been earthquake-strengthened and enhancements made to meet security classification requirements, and improve staff bases and prisoner areas.  

The upgrades were done one wing at a time, starting with the east wing in April last year.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially opened the new Rotorua Community Corrections site.

The $1.37 million rebuild of the site is part of a five-year nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure and better equipped to support offenders to turn their lives around.

“If we are to reach our goal of reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017, Corrections needs to create the best possible environment for offenders to make the changes in their lives that will allow them to live crime-free,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Fewer prisoners are testing positive for drugs and more of them are taking part in drug and alcohol treatment programmes, says Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga.

During the 2014/15 year there were about 4500 general random drug tests on prisoners. The rate of positive results was 3.7 per cent. In comparison, the rate of positive results in 2008/09 was 11 per cent.

“Reducing the demand for and availability of drugs in prisons creates a safer environment for staff and better rehabilitation outcomes for prisoners,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially launched the construction of a new maximum-security facility at Auckland Prison.

The facility will provide a safer environment for staff, prisoners and visitors and help in the rehabilitation of offenders, Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

The existing maximum-security building dates back to 1968 and is New Zealand’s only such facility.  As well as accommodating all New Zealand’s maximum-security prisoners, it also houses all prisoners from the northern region with high needs and challenging behaviour.

All Corrections-run prisons are now either working prisons or well on their way to reaching that status, with the aim of helping prisoners lead crime-free lives on release.

In working prisons, all eligible prisoners are engaged in industry, learning and/or rehabilitation activities for 40 hours a week.

“Working prisons help prisoners develop skills, experience and behaviour that will help them to find jobs and stability following release,” says Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

Justice Minister Amy Adams and Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga have responded to the independent inquiry into matters surrounding the escape of Phillip Smith/Traynor.

The inquiry noted that while Mr Smith’s escape did not indicate fundamental problems with the overall system, it did find there were shortcomings in various agencies’ systems and processes.

The Government accepts, or accepts in principle, 34 of the 39 recommendations. The remaining five recommendations raise wider issues which the Government will consider as part of this work.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga say prisoners are making furniture for Northland families to create healthier homes, and at the same time are learning new work skills.

Corrections will spend $8.63 million over three years to develop and deliver a drug and alcohol post-release programme to help offenders break their addictions and reduce reoffending, Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has announced.

“Drug and alcohol abuse is a major driver of crime. Two-thirds of prisoners have substance abuse problems and more than half of crimes are committed by people under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Often this is a major factor in their reoffending,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially opened the refurbished Whanganui Community Corrections site.

The $2.7 million refurbishment is part of a five-year nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure and better equipped to support offenders to turn their lives around.

“If we are to reach our goal of reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017, Corrections needs to create the best possible environment for offenders to make the changes in their lives that will allow them to live crime-free,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today attended the launch of Secure Online Learning for prisoners at Rimutaka Prison.

Secure Online Learning (SOL) will be implemented nationwide after a successful six-month pilot with young prisoners at Christchurch Men’s Prison.

It allows carefully selected prisoners to securely access 12 educational websites. No other websites are available to them.

SOL will replace paper based-assessment and learning processes which are prone to inaccuracies.

Justice Minister Amy Adams and Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga have today released the draft Terms of Reference for the Government Inquiry into the handling of the Tony Robertson case.

The draft Terms of Reference focus on:

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has announced that an independent review will be carried out of Corrections’ monitoring of Tony Robertson following his release from prison in 2013.

“I have decided the family of Blessie Gotingco and the public need some independent assurance about Corrections’ part in the handling of the Robertson case,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says he supports Corrections’ decision to take over the management of Mt Eden Corrections Facility.  

“The safety and security of staff and prisoners is paramount,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

“Following a new allegation yesterday, I am pleased that Corrections chief executive Ray Smith has made the decision that Corrections will take over the running of the facility for the immediate future. 

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga was this afternoon advised of fresh allegations involving Mt Eden Corrections Facility.

These allegations have been outlined in a media statement from the Department of Corrections.

“I expect to receive advice from Corrections Chief Executive Ray Smith about the options available to address the situation,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

“I will not be making any further comment until I have received and considered this advice.” 

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today made it clear to Serco managers that he expects safety and security at Mt Eden Corrections Facility to be a top priority.

Mr Lotu-Iiga met Serco's director of operations Scott McNairn and managing director Paul Mahoney today to discuss recent incidents and allegations at Mt Eden Prison. 

“I have made my concerns clear to both Serco and the Department of Corrections, and have laid out my expectations going forward,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and his Australian state and territory counterparts have agreed to develop better processes for sharing Corrections information across borders about deported offenders.

The issue of deported offenders was discussed at the recent Corrective Services Ministers conference held in Darwin.

Over the last few days, video footage has emerged which apparently shows prisoners at Mt Eden Corrections Facility fighting and engaging in other activities that are banned inside New Zealand prison facilities.

An internal investigation into these events is being carried out by Serco, which runs the remand facility.  Police have also been advised and may conduct their own investigation.