Christmas at Corrections

For Immediate Release 16 December 2015

Christmas at Corrections

Prisons and Community Correction sites across the country are involved in a wide range of activities over Christmas, with staff and offenders contributing positively to the community over the holiday period.

In prisons

1300 Corrections staff will be on duty on Christmas Day, protecting public safety and ensuring that the day runs smoothly.

Christmas Day in prison will be a day of routine and reflection. National Commissioner Corrections, Jeremy Lightfoot says, “For many prisoners, it will be a day spent thinking of friends and families in different parts of the country. As such, the day will be marked in an appropriate way.”

“Maintaining family ties and support networks is vital in helping with rehabilitation and reintegration so it’s important that they can be included,” says Mr Lightfoot. “A number of charities, such as Pillars and Prison Fellowship, work with us to help make this time easier for the families of prisoners.”

“Prisoners can also use the arts and crafts skills they have learnt through programmes in prison, to make their own presents for families and friends.”

For Christmas in prison, the main meal of the day is at lunchtime. Prisoners will be served a hot meal of roast chicken and potatoes, with a meal of sandwiches in the evening.

Prisoners will prepare around 9,000 meals of roast chicken, gravy, roast potatoes, carrots, green peas, two slices of bread, and an apple pie.

As with any other day, a vegetarian option will be available and special dietary requirements are catered for. The cost of breakfast, lunch and dinner for Christmas Day falls within the standard budget of $5.30 per prisoner, per day and is in line with the Ministry of Health’s recommended nutrition guidelines.

“The opportunity to actively participate in the meal preparation makes the prisoners feel proud they are making a positive contribution to the days celebrations. Working in the kitchen also gives the prisoners a set of skills they can use to gain employment when they are released,” says Mr Lightfoot.

Many prisoners who work in the kitchens are achieving national qualifications in hospitality and catering.

In the community

Northern

Auckland Prison is donating produce to food banks in the lead-up to Christmas. Up to 280 kilograms of mixed vegetables will be supplied to Women’s Refuge and Salvation Army in Albany and Birkenhead.

Whangarei Community Corrections has been delivering between 2-4 boxes a week of fresh vegetables to the Food for Life programme. The deliveries include tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, silverbeet, cabbage and lettuce, which are grown from seedlings at prisons throughout the northern region. Food for Life uses this produce to provide hot, nutritious lunches to schools in the Whangarei region and the Community Café where those who are struggling financially can enjoy a wholesome meal for the price of a donation.

Central

Waikeria Prison has partnered with the ‘Love Soup Kitchen’ in Tokoroa and Te Whakaruruhau Women’s Refuge in Hamilton, donating fresh vegetables grown from the unit gardens to low decile schools and the under privileged in the community. With schools finishing for the year, these fresh vegetables will be donated to a project providing food packages to families in need around Hamilton over the Christmas period.

Offenders from Te Awamutu are giving back to their community by picking and delivering boxes of tangelos from Waikeria Prison’s orchard to local schools. Since late October, groups of offenders on Community Work sentences have spent each Thursday picking tangelos and delivering them to schools from Otorohanga, Rukuhuia, Ngahinapouri and Puahue. So far 70 boxes have been delivered.

Over the Christmas period tangelos are being provided to foodbanks throughout the region to help those in need. Forty-two boxes have been delivered to the foodbanks so far. The last pick will be on 17 December when another 50 boxes are scheduled to be picked and ready for delivery before Christmas.

Staff from Tauranga Community Corrections organised a food drive over the three Tauranga and Te Puke offices. This was a huge success and resulted in a full car load of food being donated to the Tauranga Community Foodbank and a hand made donation box being gifted to the Merivale community garden.

Lower North

Prisons and Community Corrections sites around the Lower North region spread their festive cheer all year around, managing community gardens which donate fresh produce to local organisations, foodbanks and rest homes.

This year, Arohata Prison organised two community concerts in association with Zonta Mana. They featured performances from prisoners, staff, guest performers and Kapiti Gospel Choir. The concerts raised approximately $1,425 as well as a collection of canned food that was donated to the Women’s Refuge.

Southern

Community Corrections staff from Southland and Central Otago are again taking part in the Salvation Army’s Adopt a Family programme, after the success of their efforts last year. This year they are supporting a large family that the Salvation Army had identified. The Community Corrections staff embraced the challenge and are getting behind them, holding a mufti day every Friday until Christmas where staff can provide a donation to purchase gifts and groceries to help the family celebrate Christmas.

Christchurch Men’s Prison is assisting Pillars, a charity which supports the children of prisoners, to host a children’s Christmas party for prisoners and their families. The theme of the day will revolve around the prisoners children/family interaction with a Christmas atmosphere. Prisoners can make gifts for their children or purchase them through their prison account.

ENDS

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