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Department of Corrections (New Zealand)

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Department of Corrections
Ara Poutama Aotearoa
Department overview
Formed1995 (1995)
Preceding Department
  • Department of Justice
JurisdictionNew Zealand
HeadquartersMayfair House,
44–52 The Terrace,
Wellington 6011
Employees10000+ FTE staff
(30 June 2020)[1]
Annual budgetTotal budget for 2019/20
Decrease$2,171,655,000[2]
Minister responsible
Department executive
  • Jeremy Lightfoot,
    Chief Executive
Websitewww.corrections.govt.nz

The Department of Corrections (Māori: Ara Poutama Aotearoa) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with managing the New Zealand corrections system. This includes the operations of the 18 prisons in New Zealand and services run by Probation. Corrections' role and functions were defined and clarified with the passing of the Corrections Act 2004.[3] In early 2006, Corrections officially adopted the Māori name Ara Poutama Aotearoa.

History

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Prior to 1995 the country's prisons, probation system and the courts were all managed by the Department of Justice. The Department of Corrections was formed in 1995 by the Department of Justice (Restructuring) Act 1995.[4] This act gave management of prisoners, parolees and offenders on probation to the Department of Corrections while leaving administration of the court system and fines collection[5] with the Ministry of Justice. The intention was to enable the new department to improve public safety and assist in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.

In 2012, Corrections Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Corrections Minister Pita Sharples announced the government would spend $65 million over the next four years, with the goal of reducing recidivism by 25 per cent by 2017.[6]

Growth in prison population

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Since it was established, the department has had to cope with a dramatic growth in the prison population. Between 1997 and 2011 the number of inmates increased by 70%[7] and, at 201 prisoners per 100,000 of population (in 2018), New Zealand has one of the higher rates of imprisonment in the Western world.[8] The Fifth Labour Government built four prisons[9] – at Ngawha (Northern Region) housing 420 prisoners, Spring Hill (north of Huntly) housing 840, Auckland Women's housing 330 and Milton (Otago) housing 425 – at a cost of $890 million.[10] When National came to power in 2008, the department built a new 1,000 bed prison at Mt Eden for $218 million[11] in a public private partnership and gave the contract to Serco.[12]

The department's growth has been such that in July 2010, Finance Minister Bill English expressed concerns that government spending was "led by a rapidly expanding prison system which would soon make Corrections the government's biggest department".[13] As at December 2011, New Zealand had 20 prisons and the department employed over 8,000 staff.[14] The department's operating budget is over $1 billion a year.[15]

Despite English's concerns about the growing cost, in 2011 the government approved the building of a new 960-bed prison at Wiri estimated to cost nearly $400 million.[16] Later that year justice sector forecasts showed a drop in the projected prison forecast for the first time.[17] Charles Chauvel, Labour Party spokesperson for justice, and the Public Service Association both questioned the need for a new prison when there were 1,200 empty beds in the prison system.[18][19] In March 2012, Corrections Minister Anne Tolley announced that the new prison would enable older prisons such as Mt Crawford in Wellington and the New Plymouth prison to be closed. Older units at Arohata, Rolleston, Tongariro/Rangipo and Waikeria prisons will also be shut down.[20]

In 2018, the Labour Government announced a plan to reduce the prison population by 30% over 15 years.[21] As at 30 September 2019, there were 10,040 people in prison in New Zealand.[22] Since then, the prison population has dropped more than 25 per cent, from a peak of 10,820 to 7677 in March 2022.[23]

Prison statistics

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The prison population is very fluid and altogether about 20,000 people spend time in prison each year,[24] the vast majority on remand. Nearly 75% of those given a prison sentence are sentenced to two years or less,[25] and all these are automatically released halfway through their sentence.[26] As 30 September 2019, 93% percent of inmates were male. 51.9% of prisoners were Māori, compared with about 16% of New Zealand's resident population.[22] The cost of keeping a person in prison for 12 months is estimated at around $150,000.[27] In 2001 the department estimated that a lifetime of offending by one person costs victims and taxpayers $3 million.[28]

Rehabilitation policies

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In 2000, a rehabilitation approach based on enhanced computerised access to information about offenders was tried. The new chief executive of the department, Mark Byers, introduced a $40 million scheme designed to reduce reoffending called Integrated Offender Management System (IOMS). At the time it was described as "the biggest single initiative the department has undertaken to reduce reoffending". Seven years later, Greg Newbold said the scheme was an expensive failure and described it as "another wreck on the scrapheap of abandoned fads of criminal rehabilitation."[29]

Research suggests that nearly 90% of offenders were alcohol or drug affected in the period leading up to their offence.[30] In 2004 an Ombudsman's investigation into the treatment of prisoners found that only 174 inmates a year were able to receive substance abuse treatment.[31] Since then successive governments have responded by establishing additional Drug Treatment Units (DTU's) within the prison system. By 2011, this increased the number of prisoners able to attend drug treatment to 1,000 a year.[32] This represents only 5% of the more than 20,000 people who spend time in prison each year.[33] In 2023, the six month drug treatment program reduced reoffending by only 1.9%.[34]

Corrections also offers rehabilitation programmes targeting criminal thinking and decision making. One such programme called Straight Thinking was delivered to offenders in the community and in prison. Between 2000 and 2006 over 10,000 offenders were required to attend this programme until an evaluation found it appeared to increase the likelihood of re-offending rather than reducing it.[35] The Department replaced Straight Thinking with the Medium Intensity Rehabilitation Programme (MIRP).[36] In 2011, an evaluation of the MIRP found that two years after completing this programme, the reduction in recidivism was zero per cent.[37]

In 2012 the government announced that an extra $65 million would be put into rehabilitation, in an effort to reduce re-offending by 25% within five years.[38] Five years later, the Department's Annual report for 2018 shows its 17 prison based rehabilitation programmes reduced reoffending by an average of only 5.5%. Only three of the 17 results were considered statistically significant.[39]

Reintegration strategies

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The effectiveness of the Department's rehabilitation programmes is undermined by inadequate support when prisoners are released. To assist with reintegration, the Department has identified seven issues or 'reintegration needs' faced by prisoners on their return to the community; the need for suitable accommodation on release is top of the list.[40] Historically, reintegration has been difficult partly because the Department funds only two halfway houses with a total of 28 beds in the whole country – Salisbury Street Trust in Christchurch and Moana House in Dunedin (co-funded by the Ministry of Health). Less than 1% of the 9,000 prisoners released each year go into them, compared with Canada where 60% of federal prisoners are released into halfway houses.[41] There are no halfway houses funded by Corrections in the North Island where the bulk of prisoners are held.[42] There are no halfway houses for women funded by Corrections anywhere in the country.

Prison privatisation

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The use of private prisons has also been tried, stopped and reintroduced. New Zealand's first privately run prison, the Auckland Central Remand Prison, also known as Mt. Eden Prison, opened under contract to Australasian Correctional Management (ACM) in 2000. In 2004, the Labour government, opposed to privatisation, amended the law to prohibit the extension of private prison contracts. A year later, the 5-year contract with ACM was not renewed.[43] In 2010, the National government again introduced private prisons and international conglomerate Serco was awarded the contract to run the Mt Eden Prison.[44]

On 16 July 2015, footage of "fight clubs" within the prison emerged online and was reported by TVNZ. Serco was heavily criticised for not investigating until after the footage was screened.[45] On 24 July 2015, Serco's contract to run the Mount Eden prison was revoked due to numerous scandals and operation was given back to the New Zealand Department of Corrections.[46] Serco was ordered to pay $8 million to the New Zealand government as a result of problems at Mount Eden Prison while it was under Serco's management.[47]

Serco has also been given the contract to build and manage a new 960-bed prison at Wiri. The contract with Serco provides stiff financial penalties if its rehabilitation programmes fail to reduce reoffending by 10% more than the Corrections Department programmes.[48] The Auckland South Corrections Facility was opened on 8 May 2015.[49][50] The contract to operate the prison ends in 2040.[51]

Structure

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The department comprises three service arms and four other groups. The service arms are prisons, community probation, and rehabilitation and reintegration and each arm used to have separate internal processes, infrastructure and support staff.[52] As of May 2012 the newly appointed chief executive, Ray Smith proposed merging the three service arms into one team.[53] Smith said the segregated infrastructure "creates replication of work, is inefficient and has resulted in an overly layered structure."

  • Prison Services operates the Department's 18 prisons.
  • Community Probation Services manage approximately 100,000 community-based sentences and orders per year, and provide information and reports to judges and the New Zealand Parole Board to assist in reaching sentencing and release decisions. Staff also deliver interventions to offenders and prisoners to address their offending behaviour and prepare them for rejoining society.
  • Rehabilitation and Reintegration Services delivers interventions to offenders and prisoners to address their offending behaviour. These involve employment, education, constructive activities, specialised treatment services and offence-focused programmes.
  • Strategy, Policy and Planning provides strategic planning, policy development and advice, research and evaluation.
  • Finance, Systems and Infrastructure provides a range of services that support the delivery of corrections' core business.
  • Organisational Development provides strategic advice and day-to-day support and services to the Chief Executive and Corrections managers on structural and culture change, human resource management and development, employee health and safety, employee relations and employment law
  • The Office of the Chief Executive manages key functions on behalf of the Chief Executive and incorporates Business Continuity and Emergency Planning, Corporate Affairs, Internal Audit, Inspectorate, Ministerial Secretariat, Portfolio Management Office, Professional Standards Unit and the Legal Services Team.[52]

Chief executives

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Mark Byers was chief executive of the Department of Corrections for its first ten years, until he retired from the public service in 2005. Byers oversaw a range of organisational initiatives in his time at the helm and, in 2000, introduced a new computer system called "Integrated Offender Management". At the time, this was described as "the biggest single initiative the Department has undertaken to reduce reoffending." IOMS cost $40 million but had no impact of the rate of re-conviction which remained at 55% two years after release.[54]

Barry Matthews, who replaced Byers, had formerly been Deputy Commissioner of Police in New Zealand and the Commissioner of the Western Australian Police Force. He served as chief executive of Corrections for five years from 2005 to 2010 and, in a farewell interview, listed his top three achievements as the implementation of cell phone blocking technology in prisons, better enforcement by the Probation Service of sentence compliance, and the establishment of the Professional Standards Unit to investigate corruption by prison officers.[55]

During Matthews' tenure there was public concern about the management of the department. Simon Power, opposition spokesman for justice from 2006 through to 2008, made a number of calls for an inquiry into Corrections,[56] but none was held. In 2009 Matthews' leadership was questioned by the new Corrections Minister, Judith Collins, after a run of bad publicity that included the murder of 17-year-old Liam Ashley in a prison van;[57] the murder of Karl Kuchenbecker by Graeme Burton six months after he was released on parole;[58] and the Auditor General's critical report on the Probation Service's management of parolees.[59] Matthews exacerbated speculation about his leadership during the Burton debacle when he claimed: "There's no blood on my hands".[60] After the Auditor General's report was released in 2009, Collins refused to express confidence in Matthews and media commentators expected him to resign. However, Matthews refused to do so and served out his term; on his retirement he admitted he had dealt with so many crises, the department was like a "landmine".[61]

Ray Smith, former deputy chief executive of Work and Income and former deputy chief executive of the Ministry of Social Development's Child, Youth and Family, was chief executive from 2010 to 2018.[62][63]

Deputy Chief Executive Jeremy Lightfoot and National Commissioner Rachel Leota shared the acting Chief Executive role from November 2018 until February 2019 when Christine Stevenson, formerly Deputy Chief Executive at Corrections and newly appointed Comptroller of Customs and Chief Executive New Zealand Customs Service, was seconded back to lead the department from February to December 2019.[citation needed]

Jeremy Lightfoot was again Acting Chief Executive from December 2019 to February 2020 when he was permanently appointed as Chief Executive in February 2020.[citation needed]

Topia Rameka was the Department of Corrections’ Deputy Chief Executive Māori until he was fired in August 2023, after he was accused of making racist and sexually suggestive remarks towards female employees.[64]

Mental health and substance abuse in prison populations

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A study in 2015 found that about 90% of prisoners had been diagnosed with a mental health or substance abuse disorder during their lifetime. The rate of substance use disordes among prisoners is 13 times higher than the general population. Female prisoners were even more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health or substance abuse disorder than their male counterparts.[65]

Suicide in prisons

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Prisoners are four times more likely to attempt suicide and twice as likely to experience suicidal ideation than the general population.[66][67] One of the factors contributing to the suicide rate is the high rate of mental health problems experienced by prisoners.[68] The 'Health in Justice' Report conducted in 2010 by the Ministry of Health found 52% of prisoners had a history of psychotic, mood, or anxiety disorders. Twenty percent of those surveyed (about 1,700 prisoners) said they were ‘thinking a lot about suicide’.[69]

Only limited psychiatric care is available. In its Investigation into Medical and Health Services available to Prisoners, the Ombudsman reported in 2011 that the Corrections Department does not meet Article 22(1) of the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. This article requires every prison to provide psychiatric services to a similar level to that which is available in the community.[70] The Ombudsman found prison healthcare to be "reactive rather than proactive" and mental health care available to prisoners to be "inadequate or unsuitable".[71]

Violence in prisons

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In April 2015, a 44-year-old inmate, Benton Parata, died in Christchurch Men's Prison after being bashed by three other prisoners.[72] An expert on gangs in New Zealand, Dr Jarrod Gilbert, said revenge attacks could "snowball" out of control while the prison officers' union said assaults in New Zealand prisons already occurred almost daily and it was only "good luck" there weren't more deaths.[73][74]

Recidivism

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In March 2009 analysis of the previous 60 months, showed that 70% of prisoners reoffend within two years of being released from prison and 52% return to prison within five years (some of them more than once). For teenage prisoners, the recidivism rate (return to prison) is 71%.[75] The government estimated that if it reached its reduced reoffending target of 25%, there would be 600 fewer people in prison by 2017. In 2014, prison numbers went up (to 8,700) rather than down, due to more offenders being held on remand.[76]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "FTE employees by department". Workforce data. Public Service Commission. 30 June 2020. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Total Appropriations for Each Vote". Budget 2019. The Treasury.
  3. ^ "Corrections Act 2004". New Zealand Legislation. Parliamentary Counsel Office.
  4. ^ "Department of Justice (Restructuring) Act 1995". New Zealand Legislation. Parliamentary Counsel Office.
  5. ^ "Summary Proceedings Act 1957". New Zealand Legislation. Parliamentary Counsel Office.
  6. ^ "Budget 2012: $65m on reducing reoffending". The New Zealand Herald. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. ^ Lapsley, John (11 August 2011). "Cheap, easy and better than jail school". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  8. ^ "Highest to Lowest – Prison Population Rate – World Prison Brief". PrisonStudies.org. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Editorial: Tough justice a hardy campaign perennial". The Herald on Sunday. 12 October 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Cost of prisoner upkeep soars". Stuff. 30 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  11. ^ Tapaleao, Vaimoana (31 March 2011). "It's a prison, so colour it orange (and green)". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Controversial private prison opens". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  13. ^ "NZ housing 'still way overpriced' says English". The New Zealand Herald. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  14. ^ Savage, Jared (28 April 2011). "Guard who smuggled drugs to inmates charged". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  15. ^ Cheng, Derek (8 June 2011). "Prisons boss puts focus on changing inmates' lives". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  16. ^ Collins, Simon (2 August 2011). "Official nod makes Wiri biggest prison precinct". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  17. ^ ADA (12 October 2011). "Sensible sentencing leads to reduction in prison population". infonews.co.nz.
  18. ^ "Prison plans nonsensical – Labour". The New Zealand Herald. APNZ. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Why build a private prison when we have empty beds in public ones?". Public Service Association. 9 March 2012. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  20. ^ "Minister defends prison closure plans". The New Zealand Herald. APNZ. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  21. ^ Government aims to cut prison population and fix 'abnormal' system, Stuff 29 march 2018
  22. ^ a b "Prison facts and statistics – September 2019". Department of Corrections. September 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  23. ^ Exclusive: 'Expensive failure' – New Zealand's cost per prisoner rises while jail population dwindles
  24. ^ National Health Committee 2010, p. 23.
  25. ^ Department of Corrections Offender Volumes Report 2011[permanent dead link], p 18.
  26. ^ "Release from prison on conditions". Department of Corrections. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  27. ^ Exclusive: 'Expensive failure' – New Zealand's cost per prisoner rises while jail population dwindles, NZ Herald, 28 March 2022
  28. ^ About Time 2001. p. 28.
  29. ^ "$40m to stop crims reoffending 'a failure'". The New Zealand Herald. 6 December 2007.
  30. ^ About Time 2001. p. 50.
  31. ^ Ombudsmen’s Investigation of the Department of Corrections In Relation to the Detention and Treatment of Prisoners J. Belgrave and M. Smith, Dec 2005, p 41.
  32. ^ Addiction Treatment Units for inmates double, Stuff, 29 September 2011.
  33. ^ Health in Justice, Ministry of Heath, 2010, p 23
  34. ^ Corrections Annual Report 2022-23, p. 202.
  35. ^ Straight Thinking, Dr Brendan Anstiss, Psychological Services, Department of Corrections website.
  36. ^ Medium Intensity Rehabilitation Programme corrections.govt.nz
  37. ^ Corrections Annual Report 2011, p 6.
  38. ^ "Budget 2012: $65m on reducing reoffending". The New Zealand Herald. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  39. ^ Corrections Annual Report 2028-19, p.159
  40. ^ Kim Workman, Executive Director, Rethinking Crime and Punishment, How Should We Reintegrate Prisoners? p 4
  41. ^ Amey Bell & Shelley Trevethan, Community Residential Facilities in Canada, Correctional Service of Canada, p i.
  42. ^ Corrections used to run Te Ihi Tü in New Plymouth. It closed after an evaluation found the programme was "not effective in reducing recidivism amongst participants". Te Ihi Tu Community Residential Centre, Evaluation Report, June 2008, p 31
  43. ^ "Fact Sheet 54 – Private Prisons – Ideology or evidence led?". Howard League for Penal Reform. 27 April 2009. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  44. ^ Kay, Martin (14 December 2010). "Govt awards first private prison contract". Stuff. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  45. ^ Appleby, Luke (16 July 2015). "Exclusive: Secret gang fight club at Mt Eden Prison revealed". 1 News. TVNZ. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  46. ^ "Serco admits 'fight club' reports came months ago". The New Zealand Herald. NZME. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  47. ^ "Serco to pay $8m to Corrections". Radio New Zealand. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  48. ^ Cheng, Derek (8 March 2012). "New private prison at Wiri given green light". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  49. ^ "Corrections Department NZ – Auckland South Corrections Facility". 7 February 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  50. ^ Collins, Simon (8 May 2015). "NZ's first privately-owned jail opened today". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  51. ^ Cheng, Derek (5 November 2017). "Govt wants to axe new prison and lower prison muster". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  52. ^ a b "How Corrections is structured". Department of Corrections. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  53. ^ Stewart, Matt (4 May 2012). "140 jobs on line in Corrections rejig". Stuff. Fairfax NZ News. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  54. ^ Collins, Simon (6 December 2007). "$40m to stop crims reoffending 'a failure'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  55. ^ "Farewell interview: Chief Executive Barry Matthews". Department of Corrections. November–December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  56. ^ New Zealand National Party (23 January 2006). "Power calls for inquiry into Corrections". Scoop. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  57. ^ Houlahan, Mike (21 February 2008). "Go-ahead for waist restraints". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  58. ^ "Kuchenbecker case against police to be heard in court today". The New Zealand Herald. APNZ. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  59. ^ Brady, Kevin (February 2009). "Department of Corrections: Managing offenders on parole". Controller and Auditor-General of New Zealand. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  60. ^ "'There's no blood on my hands', says Corrections chief". The New Zealand Herald. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  61. ^ Cheng, Derek (21 December 2010). "Prisons boss ends six years' hard labour". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  62. ^ "New Corrections boss". The New Zealand Herald. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  63. ^ Cheng, Derek (8 June 2011). "Prisons boss puts focus on changing inmates' lives". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  64. ^ "Corrections deputy left suddenly after behaviour claims". Newsroom. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  65. ^ Smith, Ray (8 December 2020). "Investing in better mental health for offenders". Department of Corrections (New Zealand). Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  66. ^ Bowman, Jill (August 2016). "Comorbid substance use disorders and mental health disorders among New Zealand prisoners". Practice: The New Zealand Corrections Journal. 4 (1) – via Department of Corrections (New Zealand).
  67. ^ Smith, Ray (8 December 2020). "Investing in better mental health for offenders". Department of Corrections (New Zealand). Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  68. ^ National Study of Psychiatric Morbidity in NZ Prisons, 1999.
  69. ^ Health in Justice, p 3.
  70. ^ Wakem, Beverley; McGee, David (2012). Investigation of the Department of Corrections in relation to the Provision, Access and Availability of Prisoner Health Services. p. 134.
  71. ^ Wakem & McGee 2012, p. 140.
  72. ^ Dally, Joelle (2 April 2015). "Three charged with murdering Christchurch inmate Benton Parata". Stuff. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  73. ^ Bayer, Kurt (3 April 2015). "Prison beatings a daily danger". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  74. ^ Farrell, Sam (22 November 2019). "Department of Corrections to call inmates 'men in our care' not 'prisoners'". Newshub. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  75. ^ Nadesu, Arul (March 2009). "Reconviction patterns of released prisoners: A 60-months follow-up analysis" (PDF). Department of Corrections. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  76. ^ Davison, Isaac (14 November 2014). "Tougher laws blamed for prisoner rise". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
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