New Zealand was the first country in the world to introduce probation with the passing of the First Offenders’ Probation Act 130 years ago today, on 9 August 1886, Corrections Minister, Judith Collins says.
The Act allowed Courts to impose non-custodial sentences for first- time offenders and it established the roles and responsibilities of probation officers, setting out the duties and powers that still apply today.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has congratulated 24 new Corrections Officers and Offender Employment Instructors who graduated today.
The new recruits will be based at prisons across the country including Auckland Prison, Mt Eden Corrections Facility, Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility, Spring Hill Corrections Facility, Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison, Whanganui Prison, Arohata Prison, Rimutaka Prison and Christchurch Men’s Prison.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has congratulated the 22 graduates who today started their new roles as Corrections Officers.
“Corrections is undergoing a major recruitment drive and it is heartening to see so many high quality recruits joining the Department of Corrections’ frontline.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins will discuss issues of common interest with her Australian counterparts in Wellington this week.
Ms Collins will attend the Corrective Services Ministers' Conference, which is being hosted by New Zealand on 7-8 July.
The Conference brings together all Australian state, territory, and New Zealand ministers responsible for correctional services.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins says prisons are safer and healthier since smoking was banned five years ago today.
On 1 July 2011, tobacco products, matches and lighters became unauthorised items in New Zealand prisons.
“I was Minister of Corrections at the time and I asked Corrections to ban smoking in prisons because I was deeply concerned about both the health risks of second-hand smoke and the safety risks of lighters and matches.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins today officially opened the refurbished Panmure Community Corrections site in Jellicoe Road, Auckland.
The refurbishment of the Panmure site is part of a five-year nation-wide renewal programme to make Community Corrections’ sites more secure, and better equipped to keep staff and visitors safe while supporting offenders.
The Panmure site has a new-look reception area with improved safety features, including closed-circuit camera surveillance, duress alarms, and better lines of sight.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has acknowledged around 1800 volunteers who donate hours of their time in prisons and community corrections sites to help offenders turn their lives around.
“National Volunteer Week is a time to recognise these selfless people who give up their time to help offenders learn skills and reconnect with their communities,” says Ms Collins.
The theme of Volunteer Week 2016 is “Thanks for making time”. It runs from 19 to 25 June.
A Northland family in need is about to get their own home as the third house built by Northland prisoners was lifted over the wire today, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
“Prisoners built the house in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and today it will be transported to Whangarei so a family in need can move in.
Corrections will receive close to $14 million from the Justice Sector Fund to enable it to purchase mental health services for offenders in prison and in the community over the next two years.
Police has also received funding to enhance information sharing on mental health, says Corrections and Police Minister Judith Collins.
The number of people going on to re-offend after completing a sentence has decreased by 25 per cent from 2011, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.
“This is excellent progress, and I’m very proud of the hard work the Department of Corrections has done to get to this point. Reducing re-offending is hugely important because less crime means fewer victims and safer communities.”
Corrections aims to reduce re-offending by 25 per cent by 2017. As of December 2015, the rate of re-offending has fallen by 6.8 per cent since 2011.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins today welcomed 17 new recruits to the Department of Corrections’ frontline.
“If we are to achieve our goal of reducing reoffending, we need dedicated and passionate staff who are exemplary role models,” says Ms Collins.
“Over their 12 months of training the new recruits have certainly shown this, as they learn tactical training, de-escalation techniques and motivational tools, to ensure that they are well equipped to join the Corrections team.”
Corrections has increased its focus on rehabilitation of women prisoners, with Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility (ARWCF) delivering 682 rehabilitative interventions this financial year to date compared with a total of 357 last year, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
“Women at ARWCF deal with a range of challenges. Many of them enter prison with alcohol and drug-related dependence. Some women are victims of abuse, and many battle with anti-social behaviour, self-harm practices, and mental health problems.
New operating funding of $355.6 million over the next four years will ensure that Corrections can cope with a rising prison population, maintain public safety and reduce reoffending, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
Despite progress in reducing crime and improving public safety, the number of prisoners has increased faster than expected. The prison population exceeded 9,400 in April and is forecast to reach 9,800 by December this year.
An increasing number of offenders on community sentences are getting hands-on experience learning how to be “road safe” in an initiative aimed at reducing further offending, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.
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.
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.
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.
