For Immediate Release 18 September 2012

MECF PERFORMANCE STEADILY IMPROVES

The latest performance results for the Mount Eden Corrections Facility (MECF) for the months of July and August this year show a steady improvement. The figures have today been posted on the Corrections website

A total of 34 of 37 performance targets were met in August representing over 90 per cent compliance with the contractual performance regime.

MECF is managed by Serco, a private company with extensive experience in managing prisons in the UK and other jurisdictions.

July and August are the first two months in the new contract period for Serco’s management of MECF and mark the beginning of the second year the company has been this country’s only private manager of a New Zealand prison.

“The contract we have with the company sets high standards and it’s pleasing to see Serco starting this year well“, says Corrections’ Deputy Chief Executive Christine Stevenson.

“In the development of sentence plans and prisoners engaged in work programmes MECF’s management is working well.

“The company’s annual performance figures for last year ending 30 June also reveal steady gains. This was expected and had been signalled when we posted results earlier this year.”

Because of the late contract start date the annual results are for 11 months and are also cumulative.

“In the areas of random drug test results and serious assaults and self harm the company has done well.”

There are 37 performance measures in all as well as a group of key performance indicators. The results of the annual KPIs have not all been determined as they are subject to a final audit. They are expected to be released within the next fortnight.

The figures are cumulative so that means any failure to meet a performance standard now will mean a target could be missed on an annual basis

ENDS

Note to reporters: Mt Eden Prison is the 120 year old stone prison building which is now closed and does not hold prisoners. The building that was formerly Auckland Central Remand Prison has been combined with four new buildings completed in March 2011 to create a new prison called Mt Eden Corrections Facility.

Since the new facility began accepting prisoners in July 2011 there have been over 3,000 prisoner transfers and thousands of prisoner movements to and from Court.

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