4. SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) Link to this
to the Minister of Corrections
Does he have confidence in his department; if so, why?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Corrections) Link to this
Yes, but there is always room for improvement.
Can the Minister confirm that Chubb wrote to the Department of Corrections in September 2005 expressing concern about the inability of prisoners in Chubb vans to communicate with its staff, and the implications of that for a medical emergency or an assault, as there were no departmental guidelines on this matter, yet the department had still not responded to those concerns by the time Liam Ashley was tragically killed, and, in fact, according to the Ombudsman’s report tabled today, has still not responded?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I can confirm that that is what is stated in the report. The report also identifies other areas where there was a breakdown in communications. The department has been working on changes since the tragic death of Liam Ashley, starting with the separation of any person under the age of 18 years, and working through a vast range of changes, as identified in this report. We accept the recommendations in the report, and we are working through implementing many of them, to ensure that we run a robust and practicable prisoner transportation system.
How can the Minister still have confidence in a department that has no national standards for prisoner transport because, a year after it had tried to prescribe standards in March 2004, it found it could not source some of the materials, but it did not tell staff for another year and a half that, due to an oversight, that had occurred—a process that the Ombudsman has described as “unacceptable”?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
A head office review has taken place. I expect changes to occur in both culture and communication within the Department of Corrections. In regard to squabs, the department was not prepared to accept squabs that were not safe and that provided a risk to prisoners in that they could destroy them and use the material to harm themselves or others. That is why that recommendation was not implemented.
How can the Minister still have confidence in a department that responded to the concerns about prisoner transport expressed by the Ombudsman back in 2004 that it had established standards and had already started upgrading vehicles, when, clearly, that was untrue, leading the Ombudsman to state today: “We have been most disturbed … that our expectations were not met, and have still not been met.”?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I too am concerned that that was the situation. Changes are being made, and we will have a robust, practicable, and cost-effective prisoner transportation system.
Can the Minister confirm that his department renewed its contract with Chubb in 2004, and at any time had the power to vary that contract, but did not vary the actual description of services until 28 April 2007, and has started to update the contract to reflect the Corrections Act 2004 and the Corrections Regulations 2005 only since the tragic death of young Liam Ashley?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
Yes, I can confirm that, following that tragic death, changes have been made, and will continue to be made, to improve the system. In spite of what that member says, the Ombudsman points out: “In all the circumstances, we are satisfied that the contract, even before Variation No. 3, required legislation for the time being to be observed by Chubb.”
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
That did not affect the outcome of this terrible tragedy, but we are making changes to ensure that it will not happen again.
How does the Minister respond to the Ombudsman’s conclusion today that it was “saddened to find a theme of lack of communication between National Office and front-line staff”, echoing the Ombudsman’s earlier report into the department, in 2005, which talked about “the gulf that emerged between … the Department’s National Office and its staff in the prisons.”; if that is not a sign that his department is dysfunctional, what is?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
Upon realising that problem, I issued an instruction that there should be a head office review, and that the department should actively engage with people at the front line to ensure that they do know what is happening in any area of operation of the Department of Corrections, and that will continue.
Ron MarkHas the Minister read page 93 of the Ombudsman’s report, and specifically the comment: “We find an echo of our remarks in the 2005 Report of our ‘ Investigation of the Department of Corrections in relation to the Detention and Treatment of Prisoners’ where we said: ‘A major concern is the conflict between the understanding of National Office of the Department as to certain areas of difficulty, and the perceptions of the Department’s staff at the front line …’ ”; and is not that actually the core of the problem that exists in the Department of Corrections, and, despite the over 100 analysts, consultants, and business advisers at head office, it still gets it so basically wrong?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
That is why we have had a head office review. That is why we have an active programme of improving the culture from top to bottom in the Department of Corrections—to ensure that we can reduce the chances of mistakes being made. However, I could not, in all honesty, stand in this House and say that mistakes will never occur in the department or, indeed, in any other Government department. We accept the recommendations of the Ombudsman’s report, and are working through implementing each and every one of them.