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Corrections Minister Louise Upston has welcomed 40 new Corrections officers who have completed training.

The recruits graduated at a ceremony in Wellington yesterday and will now return to prison sites across the country.

“As a Corrections officer or offender employment instructor, these men and women can be a positive role model for many prisoners and help motivate them to turn away from a life of crime,” says Ms Upston.

Corrections has completed a programme to equip all its prisons with secure computer suites that allow prisoners access to online learning tools, Corrections Minister Louise Upston says.

“With new Secure Online Learning (SOL) suites being opened at Mt Eden Corrections Facility, Waikeria and Invercargill Prisons, all Corrections prisons now have access to these secure, controlled and monitored learning environments,” says Ms Upston.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston is hosting an event in Hamilton tomorrow aimed at getting more employers onboard to give jobs to skilled, motivated and work-ready offenders.

The event, the first of a series to be held around the country in coming months, will give some of New Zealand’s biggest employers the chance to hear about the work Corrections is doing to provide offenders with education, training and job skills.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston today congratulated one of the largest cohorts of frontline officers ever welcomed to Corrections.

Another 122 new Corrections officers and offender employment instructors will soon be working at prisons throughout the country after graduating from a 12-week training course.

Today’s graduation brings the total number of new officers employed as part of Corrections’ recruitment campaign to more than 350. The aim is to attract 600 new frontline staff by September this year.

Corrections has signed up its 100th employer to offer prisoners jobs in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Waste Management today, says Corrections Minister Louise Upston.

The partnership will see Waste Management work with Corrections and offer prisoners jobs when they are released, including drivers, administration, computer operator, runners, landfill operators, general operators, labourers, diesel mechanics and call centre roles.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston has congratulated 53 new Corrections officers and offender employment instructors on their graduation from training.

“I thank these men and women for stepping up to this very challenging job. We need dedicated and committed people to give offenders the support and encouragement they need to turn their lives around,” Ms Upston says.

The 53 new staff will be based at prisons around the country.

Corrections and the Kiingitanga have signed an accord aimed at working together to improve outcomes for Māori offenders, Corrections Minister Louise Upston has announced.

The accord, signed at a ceremony today by Kiingi Tuheitia and Corrections chief executive Ray Smith, commits the Kiingitanga and Corrections to work together to share information and identify and develop initiatives around the cultural, social, physical and economic health and wellbeing of Māori offenders.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston today acknowledged eight Corrections staff who have helped with and developed corrections services in the Pacific.

Service pins were presented to the eight staff in a ceremony at Parliament to mark their work in Vanuatu and Samoa.

More than 60 New Zealand Corrections staff have served in the Pacific.

“This indicates the level of respect New Zealand Corrections has in the region. Corrections staff have used their expertise and experience to improve corrections operations in the Pacific,” Ms Upston says.

Corrections’ new recruitment service is finding early success, with 140 offenders placed in permanent employment in just three months.

“Stable employment is a major factor to helping offenders lead better, crime-free lives. It is good for the offenders, their families and the communities they live and work in,” Corrections Minister Louise Upston says.

This Way for Work, established last October, is a two-year pilot programme aimed at supporting former prisoners and community offenders into stable employment and reducing the reoffending rate.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston has congratulated 65 new Corrections officers and offender employment instructors who graduated from their 12-week training course today.

“I thank these men and women for choosing a career with Corrections and joining our efforts to protect public safety and reduce reoffending,” says Ms Upston.

“I am delighted to have such a high calibre of recruits joining the department.”

The new staff will be based at prisons throughout the country.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston has officially opened a new Hamilton Community Corrections site that is safer for staff and will help better with the rehabilitation of offenders.

The Hamilton site is the second centre to be completed this year, as part of a five-year nationwide programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure for both staff and offenders. A new Community Corrections site was opened last month in Hawera.

The Corrections Inspectorate is to be strengthened with a package of measures designed to increase transparency and provide assurance on the running of our prisons, Corrections Minister Louise Upston says.

“The Corrections Inspectorate is a critical part of the oversight of the Corrections system. This is a positive move that will improve public understanding and confidence in Corrections.”

The changes have been developed in consultation with the State Services Commission, and Corrections is working to implement them within the next six months.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston has welcomed the release of the Chief Ombudsman’s report into Corrections’ care and management of prisoners at risk of self-harm.

“I have been briefed by the Corrections chief executive on the report into the use of restraints as part of the management of at risk prisoners,” Ms Upston says.

A programme is being piloted in South Auckland to help 450 young offenders gain a full driver licence, improving road safety and reducing offending.

“Gaining a driver licence can help young people turn their lives around, get jobs and move away from crime. People in gainful employment are less likely to reoffend,” Corrections Minister Louise Upston says.

The two-year pilot is aimed at Maori offenders aged 17-24 in the community and in prison. Maori have a high proportion of convictions for licence/regulatory offences.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston today opened a new residential facility at Christchurch Men’s Prison that will accommodate high-risk sexual or violent offenders subject to Public Protection Orders.

“The Matawhāiti Residence is designed to balance public safety with the appropriate management and rehabilitation of its residents. It is intended to better protect the community, rather than act as a punishment for the residents,” Ms Upston says.

Offenders spent more than 90,000 hours last year learning work and living skills aimed at positive change in their lives and reducing the likelihood they will reoffend, Corrections Minister Louise Upston says.

Work and Living Skills (WLS) is part of community work sentences in which eligible offenders sentenced to more than 80 hours of community work may be able to convert up to 20 per cent of their hours into work and skills training.

The justice sector will receive an extra $115 million over four years to support the rollout of more police on the beat.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams and Corrections Minister Louise Upston say the additional investment supports the work already underway to prevent crime and make communities safer. The $115 million funding boost for the Ministry of Justice and Department of Corrections is part of the Government’s larger $503 million Safer Communities package announced yesterday.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston today welcomed 113 new Corrections Officer graduates to the team.

“It is fantastic to see such a large group graduating and joining our efforts to keep our communities safe and reduce reoffending,” Ms Upston says.

The officers will be based at prisons across the country.

“I am grateful that they have chosen to bring their experience and expertise to the department,” says Ms Upston.

Hawera has a brand new Community Corrections building that will be safer for staff, Corrections Minister Louise Upston says.

The building is part of a five-year nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure.

Ms Upston said the purpose-built building has the best modern facilities and security of any new Community Corrections site in the country.

“The building offers a safer working environment for staff as well as having facilities that encourage positive interactions with offenders and their families.

A Christchurch family in need will have a new home and prisoners from Rolleston Prison have gained life-changing skills, says Corrections Minister Louise Upston.

The Minister visited the Rolleston Prison construction yard today where she saw the 50th house refurbished by prisoners for social housing.

Offenders across New Zealand completed more than 1.8 million hours of community work last year, says Corrections Minister Louise Upston.

A community work sentence requires offenders to complete a set number of hours of unpaid work which benefits the community.

“I am delighted to see those on community work sentences engaging in constructive activities aimed at positive change in themselves and helping their communities,” says Ms Upston.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins has welcomed five new members to Corrections Detector Dog team.

Corrections’ newest detector dogs were purchased from the Australian Border Force and graduated today, alongside their canine colleagues from Aviation Security and Customs, following a nine week training course.

“It is evident that the Dog Section has an essential role in the effectiveness of contraband reduction plans and has a real impact in keeping our prisons safe.”

The Corrections Inspectorate function will be more transparent as a result of a new Inspectorate Reporting policy, says Corrections Minister Judith Collins.

Inspectors were established by the Corrections Act 2004 to provide assurance around the delivery of Corrections’ services. Specifically, they visit all public and private prisons, investigate incidents, investigate complaints and undertake thematic reviews.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins has today inspected the $19m upgrade of Invercargill Prison which will add another fifty years of life into the century old facility.

The Department of Corrections has just completed a three year, three stage refurbishment, providing significant health and security improvements to the prison that has the capacity to accommodate 172 prisoners on sentence and remand and 75 staff.

The project has replaced older facilities, created more space for trade and training programmes and earthquake strengthened some areas where required.