8. 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.
How can the Government get its prison forecasting so wrong that exactly 2 months ago it held an extensive decommissioning ceremony for the 111-year-old Dunedin Prison, involving blessings, a tapu lifting, and flute playing, only now to reconsider reopening it as a working prison?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
The Government is not considering reopening the prison. However, I have asked for a number of options to be put before me before we consider selling the prison site back to Ngāi Tahu. It is sensible for me to do that.
Hon Phil GoffCan the Minister confirm that, in fact, there is far more scope for housing offenders in prisons today than there was in 1999, when the then Minister of Corrections for the National Government confirmed that most of New Zealand’s prisons were within a few inmates of exceeding their capacity?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I can confirm that this Government has built over 2,100 additional prison cells in its time, contrary to the inaction of the previous National Government. We are looking at all options as we move forward, but we have in place an Effective Interventions programme that is putting in the investment at the front end in order to reduce over time, hopefully, the number of people in this country who have to be locked up.
Keith LockeCan the Minister confirm what I was told at the new Wiri women’s prison on Saturday, which is that its policy is to provide incoming prisoners with three pieces of paper a week but no pen to write with, and does that typify the department’s approach to confronting the huge literacy problem in our prisons?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
What I can say is that there is a huge, increased emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills in every prison. I am not aware of the shortage of pens in Auckland, but I will certainly commit to that member to make some inquiries and ensure that we do have some pens.
Did he read a March Budget paper that states that the Effective Interventions initiatives have allowed Ministers to avoid decisions on 800 additional beds over the 5-year period to 2011, and since the current prison population is now at the level it is forecast to be at in 2011, will the sixth corrections Minister under this administration, Clayton Cosgrove, be advising New Zealand next year that we will be building a new prison?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
It is very hard for me to prejudge the future. A number of decisions will be made. But I can say that there has been a huge amount of effort from this Government to both build the necessary prison cells and try to prevent an increase in the rising prison population, which in my view is an embarrassment to this country. The Government has many very good social programmes and has invested in families around this country, in the hope that that will prevent over time more people from being locked up in prison.
Which were the six prisons that a March Budget paper identified as being “obsolete”, meaning that they are unusable and it would cost more to bring them up to standard than to replace them; and when half of all prisons are currently below standard, how many of those obsolete prisons will not be decommissioned in the near future because of the latest muster crisis?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I wish that member would make up his mind. When we build state-of-the-art prisons he criticises us for doing that, and then, when we have to continue with prisons that I accept are inadequate, he criticises us for that. I would like the member to put his policy on the table, so we can finally see what the National Party would do in this area. The only thing we have heard from National members is that they will privatise the prison system in this country; that is their solution.
Can he confirm that 165 employees were investigated in the last year—an increase of 43 percent on the previous year—with 15 being sacked and eight resigning as a result of that; and is that what his chief executive meant when he said it was just “a few bad apples” and “probably five in the whole organisation”?
Hon Damien O'Connor Link to this
That figure represents about 2.5 percent of the 3,800 employees we have. I have said publicly in this House time and time again that we will investigate any allegations, be they by prisoners, by staff, or by the public. We will continue to do that. I am pleased to say that the vast majority of those allegations have proven to be untrue, thankfully.
How does the strict approach to staffing matters today compare with the approach in the 1990s under the National Government, when escapes were running at up to 166 a year compared with just 20 a year now, and when in one prison, Rangipō prison, of the inmates who were tested, 61 percent tested positive for drug use?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
Those figures speak for themselves. In relation to drug testing and escapes, every indicator on an international basis says that this Government and our Ministers have done a very good job in those areas. The previous Government completely neglected the Department of Corrections and ran the whole system down.
Why did his department spend $8,000 to hire actors to role play scenarios for guards seeking promotion?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I am informed that that figure is for over 3 years. It is far better to train staff right across the corrections system to deal with difficult situations, rather than to front up with completely inexperienced and untrained staff and to try to resolve the situation at the time.
What does it say about the leadership within his department when 91 staff members in management positions are only acting managers?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
We have been going through a review of the public prison system and a review of its head office, to make the improvements that that member keeps demanding. That is why we have held those managers in temporary positions. I am pleased to say that the results of the Public Prisons Service review have now been completed and the staff informed of them, and that the vast majority of those people will be employed full-time.
Ron MarkHas the Minister seen the rather conflicting reports and criticisms of the Department of Corrections in the media; and specifically, can he confirm that when New Zealand First has said it has no confidence in the senior management, it means it, that when New Zealand First has said it wants corrupt staff to be rooted out and fired, it means it, and that when New Zealand First says officers who are in inappropriate relationships with inmates need to be investigated and, where found guilty, fired, it means it—
Madam SPEAKERI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I started my question by asking the Minister whether he had seen reports, and I was concluding by making the comparison with some political commentators who demand things and, when those things occur, then complain—unlike other political parties that do not. I was asking him to confirm that.
Gerry BrownleeI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. When we ask questions each day, we have to take some evidence down to the Clerk to show the veracity of the questions. I wonder whether Mr Mark would consider tabling those reports, in order for him to verify his question and not simply be a patsy for the Government.
As I am sure the member knows, that verification order does not apply to supplementary questions. However, would the Minister please just respond to the part of the question with ministerial responsibility.
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
Yes, I have seen reports and had claims made by New Zealand First, and a huge number of those have proven to be correct. That member raises them genuinely, unlike Simon Power, who raises them for cheap, political point-scoring, which undermines the morale of the vast majority of corrections staff, who do an excellent job day in, day out. It is about time that Mr Power supported them and supported corrections.