Jeremy Lightfoot, Chief Executive

The murder of Juliana Bonilla Herrera was a tragic event, and our thoughts remain with Juliana’s family and loved ones. Corrections manages the most complex, dangerous people in New Zealand and we must always learn from any case where a person has re-offended in the most horrific way.

In February, I commissioned an independent review into advice provided by Corrections to the Parole Board regarding an accommodation placement for Joseph Brider. This review has now been completed. I have accepted the findings and the two recommendations from this review.

The review found that Corrections did not provide incorrect information to the Parole Board ahead of Mr Brider’s final parole hearing, and that Corrections was entitled to form the view, based on the information our staff had, that there was no guarantee of a bed being available for Mr Brider on his release date (with Provider A). I remain confident that my staff were focused on securing an appropriate placement for him in advance of his parole date and worked within available guidance to do so.

Information provided by Corrections to the Parole Board for the October 2021 hearing outlined that we had pursued an alternative release address for Mr Brider with another support service (Provider B) for a number of reasons. These included that there was no guaranteed bed at Provider A, concerns around Mr Brider’s ability to engage with Provider A’s long term intensive reintegration programme due to the short period of time he would be on parole, and to continue his engagement with Provider B in the community.

However, the review also found that the Parole Board would have benefited from being explicitly advised that we had cancelled the referral to Provider A due to the uncertainty around whether or not a bed would be available in time for release.

I take this finding seriously and am fully committed to ensuring the Parole Board has all the information it needs to make an informed decision in cases involving high-risk offenders.

The Parole Board Chair and I agree that Corrections’ current guidance to our frontline staff could be clearer on what information is shared with the Parole Board in high-risk cases, to ensure different release proposals can be fully explored before deciding to grant someone parole. The Chair of the Parole Board and I have agreed to work together on strengthening our information-sharing processes.

As part of this, we will be issuing updated guidance to frontline staff on what information to include in Parole Assessment Reports. This will include guidance on when staff should include additional information about any changes to a release proposal that is different to the proposal put forward in a previous hearing.

I have also accepted the review’s recommendation that where a referral to a provider has gone through our internal panels, any proposals to withdraw such referrals must go back through the same panel to ensure additional oversight into this decision-making.

The review also recommended working with our accommodation service providers to improve the processes for confirming whether or not a bed is available for people released from prison, and the timeframe for this confirmation. I have accepted this recommendation we will be working with our providers on how we can achieve this.

Once again, we must always learn from any case where a person has re-offended in the most horrific way. We will continue to improve the way we work with the Parole Board and our accommodation service providers to ensure the safety of our communities when someone is granted parole.

Additional information:

• The independent review was completed by Victoria Heine KC.
• Ahead of a person’s parole hearing, Corrections provides the New Zealand Parole Board with a Parole Assessment Report. This report collates a range of information, including a proposed release address, to support the Parole Board’s decision-making regarding whether a person presents an undue risk and therefore is or is not suitable for parole.

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