Strip searches in New Zealand Prisons
Ti Lamusse made this Official Information request to Department of Corrections
The request was successful.
From: Ti Lamusse
Dear Department of Corrections,
I am interested in the Department's policies and practices around strip searches in NZ prisons. My questions are as follows:
How many strip searches are conducted within any given reporting period?
How often are strip searches conducted on any given prisoner?
What criteria exists allowing strip searches to be conducted on prisoners, other than when they enter and leave the prison?
Are there different rules and regulations for undertaking a strip search of men or women?
Can someone refuse strip search?
How often is contraband or other concealed material found as a result of a strip search?
Who conducts strip searches? I.e. do male officers search male prisoners and women officers women prisoners?
Do male or female officers conducts strip searches on transgender prisoners?
If information can be broken down into the number of searches per month and year, that would be greatly appreciated. If possible please provide all information since June 2011, as that was the last time this information was requested in an OIA, here: https://fyi.org.nz/request/185/response/...
Yours faithfully,
Ti Lamusse
From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Thank you for contacting the Department of Corrections. This is an
automatic reply to let you know that we have received your email.
Our website, [1]www.corrections.govt.nz provides up to date news and
information about the work of the Department of Corrections.
If you are requesting information about an offender or prisoner, please
note that we are required to comply with the Privacy Act 1993, the
Official Information Act 1982 and the Victims Rights Act 2002.
This means that unless you are the victim of a serious crime, or there are
other safety reasons, we must ask the prisoner or offender if they consent
to their information being released to you. If you do not want the
offender to know that you are asking about them, please send us another
email and let us know.
If you are a victim of serious crime, you will find information about the
Victim Notification Register on our website:
[2]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/community...
If you are a friend or family member of an offender, you will find useful
information on our website:
[3]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...
If you are looking for information about managing offenders in the
community, visit:
[4]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...
If you are looking for information about managing offenders in prison,
visit:
[5]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...
Once again, thank you for contacting us. We will respond to your query as
soon as we are able. Please note that due to the high volume of emails we
receive, it may take us some time to respond to you, however every effort
will be made to comply with the timeframes outlined in the Privacy Act
1993 and the Official information Act 1982.
Kind regards,
[6][Department of Corrections request email]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
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References
Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.corrections.govt.nz
2. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/community...
3. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...
4. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...
5. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...
6. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Hello,
Please find attached correspondence from the Department of Corrections.
Kind Regards,
Ministerial Services Team
National Office
Department of Corrections
Mayfair House
44-52 The Terrace
Private Bag 1206
Wellington 6140
[1]www.corrections.govt.nz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Dear Mr Lamusse
Please find attached correspondence from the Department
Kind regards,
Ministerial Services Team
National Office
Department of Corrections
Mayfair House
44-52 The Terrace
Private Bag 1206
Wellington 6140
[1]www.corrections.govt.nz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
From: Ti Lamusse
Dear Info@Corrections,
Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply. Please note, however, that you did not answer question 8 "Do male or female officers conducts strip searches on transgender prisoners?". Instead, you provided me with information about the housing of transgender people.
Under the official information act, I once again request this information:
"Do male or female officers conducts strip searches on transgender prisoners?"
Yours sincerely,
Ti Lamusse
From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Thank you for contacting the Department of Corrections. This is an
automatic reply to let you know that we have received your email.
Our website, [1]www.corrections.govt.nz provides up to date news and
information about the work of the Department of Corrections.
Please note: This email address will not be monitored over the ANZAC
holiday weekend from Friday 22 April 2016 until Tuesday 26 April 2016. If
you have immediate concerns for your safety or the safety of another
person, including a prisoner or offender in the community, please contact
the New Zealand Police. Contact details can be found [2]here.
If you are requesting information about an offender or prisoner, please
note that we are required to comply with the Privacy Act 1993, the
Official Information Act 1982 and the Victims Rights Act 2002.
This means that unless you are the victim of a serious crime, or there are
other safety reasons, we must ask the prisoner or offender if they consent
to their information being released to you. If you do not want the
offender to know that you are asking about them, please send us another
email and let us know.
If you are a victim of serious crime, you will find information about the
Victim Notification Register on our website:
[3]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/community...
If you are a friend or family member of an offender, you will find useful
information on our website:
[4]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...
If you are looking for information about managing offenders in the
community, visit:
[5]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...
Once again, thank you for contacting us. We will respond to your query as
soon as we are able. Please note that due to the high volume of emails we
receive, it may take us some time to respond to you, however every effort
will be made to comply with the timeframes outlined in the Privacy Act
1993 and the Official information Act 1982.
Kind regards,
[6][Department of Corrections request email]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.
References
Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.corrections.govt.nz
2. http://www.police.govt.nz/contact-us/sta...
3. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/community...
4. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...
5. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...
6. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
Mark Hanna left an annotation ()
Following the information released in response to this request, I've asked for some more related information from Corrections: https://fyi.org.nz/request/3926-strip-se...
My last question overlaps with what you've asked for in your follow-up. Hopefully between the two requests Corrections will give a clear answer.
From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Hello,
Please find attached correspondence from the Department of Corrections.
Regards,
Ministerial Services Team
National Office
Department of Corrections
Mayfair House
44-52 The Terrace
Private Bag 1206
Wellington 6140
[1]www.corrections.govt.nz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Hello,
Please find attached correspondence from the Department of Corrections.
Regards,
Ministerial Services Team
National Office
Department of Corrections
Mayfair House
44-52 The Terrace
Private Bag 1206
Wellington 6140
[1]www.corrections.govt.nz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
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- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
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Mark Hanna left an annotation ()
Is it just my reading of this, or did they not provide an answer to the last question relating to who conducts strip searches of transgender prisoners?
I can see they acknowledged the question, but they seem to have deflected it by instead talking about procedures regarding the placement of transgender prisoners.
Link to this