Sod-turning for $17.9 million Invercargill Prison upgrade

  • Anne Tolley
Corrections

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley has taken part in a sod-turning ceremony at Invercargill Prison to mark the start of a $17.9 million construction upgrade.

The building work will improve safety and security at the prison, while providing better rehabilitation and training facilities for prisoners.

Five other prisons across the country are also being upgraded at a total cost of $87 million.

“This is a significant infrastructure project for Invercargill Prison, and shows we are committed to increasing safety and security, and totally focused on our target of a 25 per cent reduction in reoffending by 2017 by increasing rehabilitation opportunities,” says Mrs Tolley.

Building work will be completed by the end of 2016 for:

  • A new trade training facility for high security prisoners
  • A rehabilitation programme room for high security prisoners
  • Refurbishment of exercise yards to increase security and improve prisoner management
  • Additional contraband search facilities
  • Construction of a new health and at-risk unit
  • A new Audio Visual Link (AVL) facility to minimise prisoner transport and court appearances, and
  • Seismic strengthening

“Staff and community safety is paramount, and this building work includes important enhancements to that.

“It will also provide much-improved opportunities for rehabilitation and training, which prisoners need to support them in staying away from crime when they are released.

“The contractor for the building work will also be looking at opportunities to involve suitable offenders in the construction, which in turn will give the prisoners important employment experience.

“Corrections is now over half way to reaching its target of a 25 per cent reduction in reoffending by 2017, which will result in 18,500 fewer victims of crime each year.

“The construction work at Invercargill Prison will make a significant contribution to this, and I want to thank the staff involved for their important efforts so far, and for the hard work that lies ahead.”