5. Dr CAM CALDER (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Corrections
What advice has she received about the level of employment training in New Zealand prisons?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Corrections) Link to this
I am very pleased to report that a record number of prisoners are undertaking job training in literacy and numeracy education. In the 10 months ended July 2010 the number of prisoners in employment and job training increased by 9 percent to 4,791. This means that nearly 70 percent of all sentenced prisoners are now engaged in some form of prisoner employment or job training. In addition, over the past financial year the number of prisoners undertaking literacy and numeracy education has increased by 15 percent. These results are very impressive, and I commend the department for its commitment towards rehabilitating offenders.
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
This Government is determined to reduce reoffending and to help offenders turn their lives round. Prisoners who have work skills and good literacy and numeracy skills are more likely to gain jobs and less likely to go back to jail. International studies have shown that participation in education can reduce the risk of reoffending by 9 percent, and having a job can reduce the risk of reoffending by 6 percent. The goal of the Prisoner Skills and Employment Strategy is to have at least a thousand extra prisoners gaining skills and work experience on any given day, by the end of 2012. This Government is committed to achievement of that goal.
Rahui KateneWhat progress has she been advised of about the level of Māori participation in prisoner employment, and what information, if any, is there about the longer-term outcomes associated with such participation?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
Since the Prisoner Skills and Employment Strategy was launched, the number of Māori participating in Department of Corrections’ inmate employment has increased from 42 percent to 46 percent of all prisoners employed. Māori prisoners also make up 56 percent of prisoners in polytech-run trade and technical training courses. As I mentioned earlier, international studies have shown that prisoners with work skills and good literacy and numeracy skills are far less likely to go back to jail. This is particularly encouraging when taking into account that Māori make up half of the prisoner population.