The Office of the Inspectorate has released an inspection report for Rimutaka Prison.

At the time of the inspection, in December 2023, staffing shortages meant the prison was operating with only 80 percent of its custodial staff. This led to units being regularly understaffed, some custodial staff were fatigued, and rehabilitation programmes and constructive activities were not available for most prisoners.

Chief Inspector Janis Adair said the inspection found that site managers had a clear focus on safety and security. “However, we found that staff and prisoners alike were concerned about the staffing situation and the resulting lack of programmes and activities for prisoners.”

Prisoners were receiving most of their minimum entitlements, including telephone calls and at least an hour out of their cell every day.

“But it was concerning that at the time of our inspection, no in-person visits were taking place, and there had been no visits since August 2022.” Limited visits have been available from March 2024.

“I expect prison management to take steps to address these challenges and I will be monitoring their progress.”

“Positively, the health team was delivering a good quality of service despite being significantly understaffed and under pressure, but this situation was not sustainable. Prisoners commented on the respectful and kind treatment they had received from the health team.”

The inspection found that staff and prisoners were positive about the prison’s full body scanning machine, which means that newly arrived prisoners or those suspected of concealing contraband can be scanned while fully clothed and are not strip searched.

Inspectors found positive interactions between staff and prisoners in the Special Treatment Unit, where the rehabilitation programme for violent offenders takes place. In this unit, other constructive activities were offered, such as kapa haka, tikanga classes and whānau hui, and prisoners told us they mentored each other and held each other to account.

The report makes 15 over-arching findings.

The Inspectorate is a critical part of the independent oversight of the Corrections system and operates under the Corrections Act 2004 and the Corrections Regulations 2005. The Inspectorate, while part of Corrections, is operationally independent, which is necessary to ensure objectivity and integrity.

The inspection process provides an ongoing insight into prisons and provides assurance that shortcomings are identified and addressed in a timely way, and that examples of good practice are acknowledged and shared across the prison network.

The report is here: https://inspectorate.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/61643/Rimutaka_Prison_Inspection_Report_December_2023_FINAL_for_publication.pdf

A video by Chief Inspector Janis Adair is here: https://youtube.com/shorts/zQB0u6FOcEM?feature=share

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