Is public safety being undermined by preventing high risk prisoners from accessing rehabilitation?
Roger Brooking made this Official Information request to Department of Corrections
Response to this request is long overdue. By law Department of Corrections should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.
From: Roger Brooking
Dear Department of Corrections,
I understand that the High and Complex Needs (HCN) panel is a group of Corrections personnel who assist prison and probation managers deal with offenders identified as having high and complex needs. I gather that this group is supported by the High Risk Response (HRR) team which is based in Corrections head office. Can you please advise the following:
When was the High Risk Response (HRR) team established?
What is the purpose or role of the HRR team?
How does it carry out those functions?
How many people are on this team?
Does the HRR team keep a written record of its meetings? If not, why not?
When was the HCN panel established?
What is the relationship between the HRR team and the HCN panel?
Does the HCN team keep a written record of its meetings? If not, why not?
Are the outcomes of HRR or HCN discussions held about particular offenders (or decisions made by prison or probation staff about steps to be implemented following these discussions) recorded on the offender’s file?
Does the offender’s file record that the offender has been discussed by HRR or at HCN.
How many prisoners have been referred to the HRR team for discussion since its inception?
How many prisoners have been referred to the HCN panel for discussion since its inception?
How many of those prisoners had their security classification raised after discussion by the HRR or HCN.
How many inmates were temporarily or permanently unable to attend a rehabilitation program in prison because their security classification was raised after such discussion?
If a prisoner’s security classification was not raised following such discussion, what other kinds of decisions were made by prison management about the situation posed by a given inmate.
Since the HRR team and the HCN panel were initiated,
a) how many prisoners referred to either of these groups have subsequently been released on parole?
b) how many prisoners referred to either of these groups have been released at (or near) the end of their sentence on release conditions.
c) how many prisoners referred to either of these groups are still in prison?
d) how many prisoners referred to either of these groups have been released at (or near) the end of their sentence without having attended a rehabilitation programme in prison.
Yours faithfully,
Roger Brooking
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/...
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,
[5][Department of Corrections request email]
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5. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
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
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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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Roger Brooking left an annotation ()
This OIA was originally made to the Corrections Department by email on 9 June. Because of potential public interest in the issue, I have now posted it on FYI. Corrections response should therefore be made within 21 working days from 9 June date rather than the date it was posted on FYI (29 June).
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