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C O R R E C T I O N S
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Corrections Works is published quarterly by the Department of Corrections
Private Box 1206 Wellington 6140
P 04 460 3365
www.corrections.govt.nz
ON THE COVER: Dog Handler Karina Thomas and drug detector dog Jesse at Auckland Prison.
C O R R E C T I O N Sfrom our Chief Executive
Welcome to the first edition of Corrections Works for 2017. As you will see, we have had a busy start to the year, with progress in important areas such as mental health, supporting people back into the community and upgrading our probation sites to improve staff safety and enhance the services we can offer to offenders in the community.
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Ray SmithCHIEF EXECUTIVE
CONTENTSMARCH 2017
from our Chief Executive
4 Drug dog team curtail contraband
6 Matawhāiti opens for residents
7 Introducing our new Community Engagement and Reintegration role
8 New guided releases help prisoners find their feet
9 New mental health and reintegration programme
10 Helping mothers inside the wire
10 Prisoners write creatively
11 From our Minister
11 Take a look at our refreshed website
12 Regional highlights
16 New Hawera Community Corrections site opens
Last year I signalled that mental health and alcohol and other drug support was one of our eight action areas. We’re making a significant investment in improving offenders’ mental health, including
a new $14 million mental health package. The Mental Health and Reintegration Programme is being rolled out to selected community and prison sites around the country. The aim is to increase mental health support for offenders in prison and the community (page 9).
In February we opened New Zealand’s first secure unit for people subject to a Public Protection Order (PPO). The new facility is based on the grounds of Christchurch Men’s Prison. The residents aren’t prisoners; this is a civil detention residence and the intention is to protect the community from people who have finished their prison sentence but still pose a serious public safety risk (page 6).
Most people will leave prison, and Guided Release will help them make a successful return to the community (page 8). With the involvement of other agencies, we help newly released prisoners with tasks most of us take for granted such as opening bank accounts, finding accommodation and attending job interviews. We want to help people get settled on the outside as much as we can so they can live crime free and not go back to prison.
It was my privilege to open Hawera Community Corrections’ new premises at the end of January (page 16). Since then we have also opened Hamilton Community Corrections, which brings together six separate sites into one central hub. These new sites offer modern facilities, improved security and dedicated areas for rehabilitation and living skills programmes for offenders.
Finally, on the cover you’ll see one of our handlers and her drug detector dog. I have followed the progress of our dog teams with interest ever since I went out with Maurice and his dog at Waikeria Prison when I first started at Corrections. In this issue, we meet Karina Thomas and Jesse, one of our 19 dog teams who carry out invaluable work keeping contraband out of our prisons.
Our people – and dogs – work hard to prevent any contraband such as drugs, drug paraphernalia, tattoo equipment and cellphones from entering prisons. We do a lot of work gathering intelligence, conducting searches, enhancing security and making use of technology such as x-ray machines and video surveillance, but we couldn’t do without our amazing four-legged friends and their fabulous trainers. ■
3CORRECTIONS WORKSDEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
“Jesse was discovered at the Blenheim pound by the Police who were scouting for suitable dogs. As with most pound dogs, her history was unknown but she had traits that are sought after in service dogs.”
Essential traits are a strong hunting instinct, trainability and a good work ethic. KT says that detector dogs need to be ‘environmentally sound’.
“Dogs have to walk on shiny floors, go up and down stairs, and be up high on top of landings in units. They need to be confident, independent, strong little animals. Imagine walking down a landing with a whole bunch of prisoners banging and yelling, so the dog can’t be easily frightened.”
Corrections’ puppy breeding programme aims to be less reliant on the unknown quantity of ‘pound pups’. The programme breeds spaniels, labradors and German short-haired pointers.
Since becoming a dog handler, KT has entered both the Corrections and Police national dog trials. The duo has been regularly placed in both competitions, and in 2016, they came first in the Corrections’ trials and second in the national Police champs.
Drug dog teamCURTAIL CONTRABAND
Finding a used meth pipe concealed in a cookie bag is all in a day’s work for dog handler Karina Thomas (KT) and her drug detector dog Jesse.
+ KT and Jesse search a prisoner’s cell.
Based at Auckland Prison, KT and Jesse, a five-year-old Kelpie cross, carry out daily search operations on prison grounds, in vehicles, units and cells, and prisoners’ mail and property. Other searches
include new arrivals, prisoners on transfer, and visitors and contractors coming into the prison.
“Anyone coming in the front gate of the prison could be searched by a drug dog,” says KT. “It’s the three D’s. We detect odours, deter contraband coming in by being visible, and disrupt their plans with routine or unplanned checks.”
As a dog handler, KT loves the variety of work. “We’re in and out of units; working on information to find contraband. We’re a key player in ensuring the safety of staff and prisoners.”
Jesse is trained to find drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and cannabis. Other detector dogs are trained to find contraband items such as cellphones and tobacco.
It was during a routine property search that Jesse indicated on the cookie bag. “We were searching through the property of a prisoner. The property goes through an x-ray machine and is then examined by a detector dog. Jesse indicated on the cookie bag and we found a meth pipe with residue. This was a great find as meth pipes are usually found in vehicles.”
Prior to graduating as a dog handler, KT was a corrections officer at Christchurch Women’s Prison.
When applications opened for handlers in 2012, KT jumped at the chance. Her first dog was redeployed to Samoa as a Customs detector dog, and she met Jesse in 2013 at the Police Dog Training Centre in Trentham.
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Dog Squad
TVNZ’s popular Dog Squad series features detector dogs from Corrections, Police, Customs and other agencies. KT and Jesse featured in series 7 episode 9, which can be viewed on TVNZ OnDemand.
A find that stands out for KT occurred during a routine search when Jesse indicated on a prisoner’s prosthesis. “Inside, wrapped in black tape, glad wrap, black pepper and more glad wrap was a plug of cannabis,” says KT. “Jesse could smell it through all those layers.”
Last year, Corrections’ Dog Section celebrated its 25th anniversary and now has a total of 19 detector dogs in New Zealand prisons.
Corrections’ Manager Specialist Search John Gallagher says, “Our dog teams have proven very effective at detecting contraband.
“We have good relationships with our partner agencies and work closely with them to ensure we’re keeping up with new types of contraband and new ways of smuggling.” ■
+ Handlers share a strong bond with their dogs.
“We’re a key player in ensuring the safety of staff and prisoners.”
Contraband finds are down
Due to Corrections’ improved screening measures, contraband finds decreased so far this year (as at February 2017) compared to 2015-16. At Auckland Prison there have been 43 drug finds down from 108 the previous year, and 55 tattoo equipment items down from 117. Nationally, 280 communication devices were found compared to 414 for the previous year, drugs were down to 398 from 712, and alcohol finds were down from 384 to 229.
“We’re a key player in ensuring the safety of staff and prisoners.”
+ Examples of contraband items include cellphones and tobacco.
5CORRECTIONS WORKSDEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Located on the grounds of Christchurch Men’s Prison, the Matawhäiti Residence accommodates up to 24 people, and is designed to balance enhanced public safety with appropriate detention and
rehabilitation. Matawhäiti means to be cautious, prudent, careful
and tactful.Residents are subject to a civil detention order and are
not prisoners. They are deemed by psychologists and the courts to be of very high and imminent risk to the public of causing violent and/or sexual harm. Detention is intended to be protective for the community rather than punitive for the resident.
Each resident has a personalised programme with goals that contribute towards reducing their risk. The programmes take into account the individual’s physical and mental health requirements, cultural needs, existing skills and capacity to acquire more, rehabilitation and reintegration needs and aspirations for personal development.
Under the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Act 2014, residents are afforded as much autonomy and quality of life as possible while keeping them, and everyone in the community, safe.
+ Matawhäiti Residence at Christchurch Men’s Prison.
Matawhāiti opens for residents
+ Hon Louise Upston officially opened the Matawhäiti Residence.
Matawhäiti is a 1.055ha community-like secure facility, surrounded by a four metre electric fence. When completed, it will have eight blocks of three self-contained residential units. Two blocks have been built to date, offering six residential units.
Each 27m2 unit has a living room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, laundry facilities and a small garden and veranda area.
A community/administration building includes a large communal space, a shared kitchen, respite room, spaces for private visits and secure staff administrative and management spaces. The facility is surrounded by open grassed areas and space for future vegetable gardens. These provide for residents’ outdoor recreation and exercise needs.
To date, Matawhäiti has 10 permanent and eight on-call staff. Their role is to protect the community and support residents with their rehabilitation and reintegration.
Matawhäiti currently has two residents. ■
Minister of Corrections Hon Louise Upston officially opened New Zealand’s first secure residence for people subject to a Public Protection Order (PPO) on 15 February 2017.
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Corrections has created a new community adviser role to improve public understanding about how we manage offenders with high and complex needs in the community.
Nine Senior Advisers – Community Engagement and Reintegration were inducted in late February. They will be based in regional offices around the country.
Brent Reilly from the High and Complex Needs Project says the adviser role is breaking new ground for Corrections in terms of liaising with communities.
“It’s their job to engage with communities when an offender returns to the area to ensure people understand how our practices and processes are designed to keep everyone safe.
“The new role will focus on broadening public understanding of our work, particularly relating to how we manage serious offenders in the community, and to support the formal notification process when offenders who have offended against children are released from prison, and reintegrated into communities.”
Evidence shows that the best efforts towards rehabilitation occur when someone returns to a supportive community. For some offenders finding accommodation can be very difficult and lack of accommodation can escalate an offender’s risk.
The senior advisers will be building relationships with property managers/accommodation providers, other agencies (eg Ministry of Social Development, NGOs) to help find multiple suitable accommodation options for offenders within the region and nationally that frontline staff can access.
“Our community advisers will focus on building relationships with schools, local bodies and other stakeholders to broaden public understanding of our work. They’ll support communities when Corrections notifies them about offenders returning to their communities to live and facilitate safe and sustainable reintegration for these offenders.
New role in briefYour local adviser will:
> assist in the identification of accommodation options for offenders
> talk to interested groups about the work we do to manage offenders safely and effectively
> support communities, other agencies and Corrections staff involved in managing offenders and safeguarding the community.
If you want to contact one of our regional advisers you can use one of the email addresses below:
> [email protected] > [email protected] > [email protected] > [email protected]
We’ll be adding more information to our website www.corrections.govt.nz soon.
“We want the public to feel confident that we have the right measures in place for offenders to reduce the risk of harm. We also have to balance public concern with the offender’s right to live legally within the community as the courts/Parole Board have directed.”
Corrections has updated practice guidance for staff involved in assessing and approving addresses for offenders who have offended against children. This will be implemented in March following a pilot.
“It can be very challenging to find suitable accommodation for people with convictions for offending against children. Our updated guidance has been designed to support staff to do this,” says Brent. ■
INTRODUCING OUR NEW Community Engagement and Reintegration role
7CORRECTIONS WORKSDEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
One of the first prisoners to benefit from a new Corrections’ reintegration initiative was released in February 2017.
+ Case Manager Nathan Tipuna works through release details with Matt.
New guided releasesHELP PRISONERS FIND THEIR FEET
Guided Release began in September 2016. It’s aimed at long-serving prisoners who need help transitioning back into the community and who are eligible for temporary releases from prison.
Under Guided Release, Corrections staff take approved prisoners out into the community to address outstanding reintegrative needs. Guided Release activities could include attending a job interview, registering with Work and Income, and obtaining accommodation or personal ID (which many prisoners don’t have).
“Release from prison is a challenging time,” says Rolleston Prison’s Principal Case Manager John MacClure. “Research shows that 44% of people released from prison are reconvicted within the first 12 months. Guided Release provides offenders with an opportunity to address their needs before release and gives them a better chance of making it through the first few months after release.”
“This is not something we can do alone,” says John. “All our reintegration work involves wide-ranging support from government, community groups, businesses and individuals.”
Matt* is in his mid 30s and has completed his second prison sentence for driving while disqualified.
Through Guided Release, Matt has had two outings from Christchurch Men’s Prison with his Case Manager Nathan Tipuna. These enabled him to attend a job interview and open a bank account, which provided him with a form of legal identification.
“Moving back into the community can be really hard,” says Nathan. “No matter how prepared they think they are, the majority of released prisoners will confront financial and emotional challenges, and have concerns relating to moving back in with family, finding accommodation and a job. Through Guided Release we start working with people early, while they still have the stability of prison, food and shelter.”
Matt is determined to succeed. “I’m feeling really positive about my release. Last time I was in prison I just acted the goat. Then I came out, did the same thing and went back to prison. This time I’m doing everything to make it work. I’m going to reconnect with my family and I’m not coming back.” ■
*Name changed to protect his privacy.
+ Matt is signed out for his Guided Release with Nathan Tipuna.
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By introducing new resources, Corrections is better placed to meet the needs of offenders with mental health challenges.
As a result, we’re about to see new staff begin work on the Mental Health and Reintegration Programme pilot in selected community and prison sites around the country.
“As a population, offenders and prisoners are disproportionately affected by mental health issues,” says Director Offender Health Bronwyn Donaldson. “Addressing those issues will remove the barriers to their participation in industry, treatment and learning activities, and ultimately contribute to reducing re-offending.”
As part of the pilot, Corrections will introduce four types of service:
> increased mental health support for offenders in prison and the community
> wrap-around support for the families of offenders engaged in mental health services
> counselling and social work services for women prisoners > a transitional temporary supported living service on
release for offenders with severe mental health needs and/or cognitive impairment.
The pilot will cost around $14 million and run for two years. We will assess the outcomes twice – in October 2017 and again in October 2018.
Social workers and counsellors have already started work in the three women’s prisons; Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility now has two social workers and two counsellors. Christchurch Women’s Prison and Arohata Prison have one of each.
Bronwyn says, “Social workers are working with women who are mothers to support their continued parenting, especially where Child, Youth and Family is involved, as well as leading practice in the Mothers with Babies units.”
The counsellors are working with women to address historical or current trauma.
Wrap-around family support will be available at four Community Corrections sites that will help navigate at-risk families towards existing community services and support them to engage with those services.
New clinicians, including nurses with post-graduate qualifications in mental health, psychologists and occupational therapists will work directly with prisoners and offenders to stabilise and address their mental health needs and support Corrections staff in their work with these people.
The supported living service will work towards having suitable accommodation and sufficient support available in the community to adequately address qualifying prisoners’ immediate and long-term severe mental health and/or cognitive impairment needs. These prisoners don’t immediately meet health sector thresholds for care.
The service will be transitional and provide an interim and safe place to live upon release from prison. Providers will assist offenders to access longer term sustainable supported living and appropriate services for ongoing health and treatment needs.
These strands will weave together to form a strong programme of positive change to help prisoners and offenders struggling with mental health challenges. ■
New mental health and reintegration programme
+ Women prisoners will receive extra mental health support during the pilot.
9CORRECTIONS WORKSDEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
“If you help a mother, you can help a family,” says Stacey Shortall, founder of the Mothers Project.
PRISONERS WRITE CREATIVELY
A love of teaching writing led an English secondary school teacher to volunteer at Hawkes Bay Regional Prison.
“I strongly believe that being able to communicate effectively and share your stories is a fundamental part of being human,” says Jo Morris. “People who can write well are better equipped to handle whatever life throws at them.”
Jo heard about the successful ‘Unlocked’ programme run by The Red Room Company1 in Sydney, which takes poets into prisons. “Although I’m a teacher rather than a poet or writer, I have a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. I decided that running a trial creative writing course would be a good starting point for a similar programme here.”
Jo runs the course over six weeks for an hour each week. “Each session, I give students a writing prompt, which could be either words or an image, and I focus on providing encouragement and feedback. The aim is for each participant to have two finished pieces to include in an anthology.”
The men have responded positively and their writing has improved. “They’ve become better at trusting that their thoughts have value when shared. Some of the writing they’ve produced is startlingly good.”
Jo’s second creative writing course started in early March. ■
1 http://redroomcompany.org/projects/unlocked
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Helping mothers inside the wire
+ Stacey Shortall (third from left) and some of her volunteer colleagues at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility.
+ Jo Morris with An Anthology of Poems written by prisoners at Hawkes Bay Regional Prison.
Stacey, a partner with law firm MinterEllisonRuddWatts, has set up a trust named “Who did you help today?” to connect skilled people with not-for-profit community projects.
One of these is the Mothers Project, which is run by Stacey and a pool of volunteer lawyers. The Mothers Project helps mothers in prison maintain family ties while separated from their children. The volunteers also provide legal information, correct misperceptions and act as role models.
“We help the women understand their responsibilities and rights, and how to think differently about their interactions with agencies and individuals who are looking after their children,” says Stacey. “We expose the women to our volunteers who often have had different experiences. It works both ways as the volunteers get a lot of perspective from meeting with the women and genuinely want to help them.”
Feedback from everyone involved shows that the project has been valuable in helping the mothers maintain connections with their children or helping them to understand what steps might be required to gain access to their children.
“The response from the mothers has been fantastic. If they can maintain a meaningful connection with their children following release, they could be less likely to re-offend.”
The Mothers Project has been running at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility for two years. In late 2016, it was introduced at Arohata Prison and plans are underway to expand the project to Christchurch Women’s Prison. ■
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From our MinisterIt is my absolute privilege to be the new Corrections Minister in the National Government. Already I have visited 10 prisons and a number of Community Corrections sites around the country.
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR REFRESHED WEBSITE
We’ve given our website a new look, but we’ve kept information in the same place.
The new website features more photographs of our work and people, and allows us to tell our stories directly to online visitors.
Take a tour of our website and let us know what you think.
www.corrections.govt.nz
I have attended the graduation of 113 new corrections officers and announced new funding of $64 million for Corrections as part of our
Government’s half billion dollar investment in law and order that includes money for more frontline Police and more resources for courts.
One thing is clear, this is a time of great change. I am the third Corrections Minister in as many years; Corrections is dealing with the biggest prison muster yet, and we are more focused than ever on ensuring our communities are kept safe and offenders are able to reintegrate successfully into society and remain crime-free.
Among all of this change, there are two constants – the aim we all have to reduce re-offending, and, more importantly, the Corrections staff who go to work every day facing new challenges but always with the belief they can make a difference to the lives of the people in their care.
It is my job to ensure that Corrections has the resources it needs to carry out the required work.
The $64 million for Corrections announced by the Prime Minister recently will go towards more staff and more resources for rehabilitation, education and life skills training. I opened our new public protection order facility in Christchurch recently, and this is another way we can manage some of our highest risk offenders.
But on the ground, it is the Corrections staff who deal daily with offenders who will make the practical difference. I applaud them for their dedication to improving the lives of some of our most troubled citizens and keeping them safe while also ensuring that our communities are kept safe. ■
Hon. Louise UpstonMINISTER OF CORRECTIONS
11CORRECTIONS WORKSDEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
NORTHERN REGION GEARING UP FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTING TRIAL
+ A mobile urology van. Some offenders with an abstinence condition will be directed to undergo a urine test by their probation officer or Police in a van like this.
+ Sew good for kids: Corrections Officer and Sewing Instructor Joanne Hammerton (centre), and Comfort Kidz volunteers Natalie Callard (left) and Louise Rogers, show pikau (care) bags made by prisoners employed in the Northland Region Corrections Facility sewing workshop. The men have made over 600 bags for children going into care who often have few possessions. The bags are donated to the multi-agency centre of the Middlemore Health Foundation in Auckland.
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+ Alcohol monitoring anklets will be part of the Northern Region trial. The anklets detect alcohol in sweat and provide evidence that the wearer has consumed alcohol. These will be reserved for our highest risk offenders and electronically monitored bailees.
From 16 May new legislation will allow for the drug and alcohol testing and monitoring of offenders and bailees subject
to abstinence conditions.Working with Police, Corrections will
implement the legislation using a phased approach, starting with a two-year trial in the Northern Region. The trial will allow us to identify the right mix of testing technologies and frequency of testing to inform a national roll out in the future.
Since the legislation will be retrospective, any offender with an existing abstinence condition on 16 May could be subject to testing. This means Corrections staff in the Northern Region have started alerting offenders to the law change and what it means for them.
Northern Region Operations Director Lynette Cave says the trial will give Corrections and Police more evidence about breaches of abstinence conditions.
“The evidence will help staff decide what action to take to help keep the community safe. Many offenders genuinely want to quit, so our ability to test them will help them maintain their commitment to sobriety and support their rehabilitation.”
Not all community-based offenders in the Northern Region will be tested during the trial; testing will only apply to those given an abstinence condition by a judge or the Parole Board. Staff will then target higher risk offenders with more intensive monitoring such as more frequent random drug testing and continuous alcohol monitoring via an anklet that can detect alcohol use. Lower risk offenders will be tested if their probation officer has reason to believe they may have used drugs or alcohol.
A formal evaluation at the end of the trial will identify which methods are the most effective in providing evidence to staff and reducing alcohol and drug-related harm. ■
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LIFTING HOPES FOR OFFENDERS IN PAEROA
A forklift licence course is helping to ‘lift’ hopes of a new career for offenders in the Paeroa area thanks to Corrections’ collaboration with the Transport Licensing Company.
The one day intensive course took eight offenders through the theoretical and practical requirements for an Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) approved forklift licence, opening up opportunities in the horticultural, distribution and transportation industries.
“We know that through training, education and employment we can help reduce re-offending and with partners like the Transport Licensing Company, we’re helping to make a real difference in offenders’ lives,” says Paeroa Service Manager Jennifer Dorofaeff.
“Once you complete the course, you can drive a forklift in any warehouse/yard scenario in New Zealand, which opens many future employment opportunities,” says Trainer Brad Ellis. “Our course also provides an F Endorsement, which appears on your driver licence and means you can drive a forklift on a public road, which is important for horticultural work.”
Once they have completed the course, offenders are further supported by organisations like EmployNZ, Workwise and offender recruitment consultants who help place them in employment based on their new skill set.
Paeroa Community Corrections also delivered three motor vehicle driver licence programmes last year and helped 10 offenders obtain their learner licences. This not only helps offenders with employment, it can help keep them out of court for offences such as driving without a licence.
A second forklift course took place in January 2017 and more courses will be scheduled throughout the year. ■
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BUZZING WITH ACTIVITIES
With around 700,000 beehives in New Zealand and only 7,000 beekeepers, apiculture is a good career
choice and Central Region prisons are buzzing with activities to take advantage of this opportunity.
At Tongariro Prison, apiculture is well established with 14 prisoners already holding their level 2 Apiculture Certificate in Bee Keeping, and a Level 3 course is currently underway.
Waikeria Prison has recently received 250 hives with another 100 on the way to
help train prisoners, and Spring Hill Corrections Facility is looking at introducing bee keeping into their training suite to make it a trifecta for Central Region prisons.
Central Regional Commissioner Terry Buffery says, “Bee keeping is a highly transferrable skill. It’s good for the environment and prisoners have to learn to care for a very complex group of living creatures, and that helps foster the type of person we want to introduce back into the community.” ■
+ Apiculture students at Tongariro Prison.
+ Peter Ellison from the Transport Licensing Company prepares to begin the training.
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CULTURAL LEARNING AND COOKING FOR WAITANGI DAY
Kai and korero were on the cards on Saturday 4 February as Wellington community-based offenders learned about traditional Mäori cooking and Te Tiriti O Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi)
at Mokai Kainga Garden, Owhiro Bay.Under the guidance of community work supervisors and
marae elders, offenders were involved in a full hangi process. They planted and harvested the vegetables, learnt how to prepare the food and the hangi pit, laid and uncovered the hangi and participated in traditional Mäori customs.
While the hangi cooked, offenders were introduced to the Treaty and what it meant for some of the guests, including Mokai Kainga Mäori Centre CEO Robert Te Whare.
“The Tiriti [Treaty] workshop was an eye opener for some who weren’t aware of what the Treaty means,” says Community Work Supervisor Tupu Araiti.
“We learned a lot about hangi preparations, shared some of the principles of the Treaty, and we thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Waitangi Day with one another.”
One offender said: “Today’s session was great. It allowed me to have some understanding and experience of the Treaty.”
Community work has a focus on teaching offenders every day skills that they can share with their whänau. The skills can increase their motivation to make positive changes in their lives and ultimately increase their employability. ■
+ A prisoner works on a bike wheel.
+ Offenders on community work sentences lay a hangi on Waitangi Day.
PRISONERS REFURBISH BIKES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY
Nearly 300 bikes have been donated to a community project to provide quality refurbished bikes to people in
the Upper Hutt community who wouldn’t normally have access to a bike.
Since August 2016, Rimutaka Prison has been involved in the project and prisoners have so far stripped, repaired and painted more than 110 bikes.
The project is an initiative between the prison, Upper Hutt City’s Activation Team, The Cycle Centre and Upper Hutt City Council.
Senior Corrections Officer Richard Simpson says the men enjoy the work. “It’s a terrific project and one where they can put their skills to good use
while doing something useful for the community”.
The bikes are given a safety check and inspection by Andrew Hanlon, qualified bike mechanic from The Cycle Centre, before being returned to the community via the council’s community development team.
Every bike comes with a helmet funded by Heretaunga Rotary, a lock and a high visibility vest from the council, as well as information about cycle safety.
Bike recycling programmes are in place in Tongariro, Auckland and Christchurch Men’s Prison, as well as a number of Community Corrections sites. ■
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REHABILITATION PROGRAMME OFFERS BETTER OUTCOMES
Five Greymouth offenders are taking part in the first community-based Short Rehabilitation Programme (SRP) of 2017.
Designed for small groups of men or women, the 24-session SRP is delivered in both community and prison settings to offenders on sentence for violence offences.
“The SRP is highly successful,” says West Coast Service Manager Kelly Hill. “It gives participants the skills to identify situations that may lead to their offending and strategies that help them manage and avoid these in future.”
Corrections Programme Facilitator Marjo Bruijn delivers the four-day a week, six-week programme.
“These five men have been identified as highly motivated to make changes with their offending,” says Marjo. “I’m excited to work with them throughout their journey.”
Tom* has benefited a great deal from the programme. In his mid 30s, Tom started the programme not expecting much, but as it progressed he connected with the group and now feels he can speak up and share the issues he is dealing with.
The SRP introduces several models to help offenders with issues such as communication and lifestyle balance.
Corrections is planning to run three further SRP programmes in 2017 on the West Coast, two for men and one for women offenders. ■
*Name changed to protect his privacy.
+ Bird transfer boxes made by prisoners at Otago Corrections Facility.
+ Programme Facilitator Marjo Bruijn with a Short Rehabilitation Programme participant.
PRISON PRODUCTS PROUDLY BOOST BIODIVERSITY
Prisoners at Otago Corrections Facility (OCF) are playing their part in conservation efforts to safeguard New Zealand’s special native species and their habitat.
“The partnership with Conservation is a great fit with the prison,” says OCF Assistant Prison Director Gill Brown. “OCF prisoners and staff are very proud of their part in helping to safeguard our special flora and fauna. The projects help staff build the employable skills of prisoners while boosting conservation efforts in the region.”
The Building Capacity to Boost Conservation project began in 2015, when Department of Conservation Partnership Ranger Sue Streatfield approached OCF.
“An important aspect of prison industries is to be engaged in activity that has a useful purpose for the community while learning employable skills,” says Gill.
“Local community and environmental projects are of particular interest to offenders who can see the benefit to the community. It shows them that we can all make a difference to our environment, even from prison.”
Prisoners in carpentry, engineering and horticultural industry training have been working on projects that will support the eradication of predator populations, protection and transportation of native species, and the protection and restoration of native habitats and flora.
So far the men have built 300 predator traps, 50 bird transfer boxes, 40 wëtä motels, and cultivated red tussock seeds for restoration purposes. ■
15CORRECTIONS WORKSDEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
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Corrections Works is published quarterly by the Department of Corrections.Private Box 1206, Wellington 6140, New Zealand Phone 04 460 3365 Email [email protected]
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The building is part of a five-year nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure for staff and provide facilities that encourage positive interactions with offenders
and their families.District Manager Coralea Easther says, “The new
site includes safety and security features such as CCTV monitoring, a main entrance that can be remotely locked, duress alarms and swipe card access to staff-only areas.”
The new site has an improved community work area and dedicated rooms where work and living skills programmes as well as rehabilitation, motivation and maintenance programmes can be delivered. A new whänau room provides a comfortable space where staff can meet families of offenders.
“The former site was no longer fit for purpose,” says Coralea. “In summer it was too hot, in winter it was freezing, and the concrete walls often dripped with water. The building was built in 1912 and was seismically unsafe.”
NEW HAWERA COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS SITE OPENS
+ Chief Executive Ray Smith and South Taranaki District Mayor Ross Dunlop in the new site’s reception area.
+ Hawera Community Corrections’ new premises.
Corrections Chief Executive Ray Smith officially opened Hawera Community Corrections’ new premises on 31 January 2017.
Hawera Community Corrections’ 14 staff manage 286 offenders on 339 community-based sentences and orders including home detention and community work.
In 2016 offenders completed more than 25,800 hours of community work across South Taranaki with schools, community organisations and popular walkways benefiting from projects managed by the site.
“Community work is a reparative sentence, so offenders are giving back to their local communities. They work under the guidance of our community work supervisors and are learning new skills along the way,” says Acting Senior Community Work Supervisor Alison Spurdle.
“We’re always looking for new community projects for our community work teams,” says Alison. “Any non-profit groups or organisations in South Taranaki looking for assistance should contact Hawera Community Corrections on 0800 477 622.”
More than 30,000 offenders are serving community-based sentences at any given time around the country. Community Corrections supports and motivates these people to make changes in their lives and give back to their communities. ■
