In the South Island we have 5 prisons holding around 1800 prisoners.

Prison Total Muster Sentenced Remand

Chch Men’s 758 276 471
Chch Women’s 131 67 60
OCF 415 254 160
Rolleston 332 332 0
Invercargill 156 82 74

The legislation which governs our work is the Corrections Act 2004 which sets out how prisons must be
operated and includes that we must comply with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners.

There is a formal induction process when someone goes to prison which ensures they are aware of their
rights and responsibilities, of the prison rules, routines and procedures.

Induction also identifies prisoners who may be at immediate risk of self-harm or harm to or from others, or
who may have immediate needs.
Arriving in prison

Our first priority when a person arrives in prison is their safety and wellbeing.

A person might be sent to prison for two reasons.

If they have been convicted and sentenced, and if they have been remanded in custody while awaiting trial
or sentencing.

People in custody will normally be held in the court cells until the end of the day, then be transported to
the prison's receiving office.
Searching, identity check and property

Identities are checked to make sure the person should be in prison.

Each person is searched for banned items, this includes a strip search.

If a person has property with them, it will be documented and processed at this point.

Once the property has been checked, it may be given back, stored or disposed of. People may be able to
send their property out of the prison.
Clothing

Clothing will be issued, although this varies between prisons. Some may allow people to wear some of
their own clothes (people on remand are usually allowed to wear their own clothes), but no gang-coloured
clothing or paraphernalia is allowed.
Money

If a person has cash it will be deposited in their prison trust account. They can use this account to purchase
a range of approved grocery items.
Weekly shopping system
People in prison can use their trust account to buy approved grocery items once a week.
Approved items include:
• groceries
• toiletries
• phone cards
• stamps
• confectionery items

Prisoners are limited to spending a maximum of $70 per week and the total value/amount of an order
cannot exceed the prisoner’s available trust account balance.
Biometrics

On first reception to a prison, a prisoner must be photographed for identification purposes and their
fingerprints also recorded.
Assessment

New arrivals are interviewed to establish general details like next of kin and if they have any immediate
needs.

This includes assessing the risk of the prisoner self-harming.

They are also given an initial health check which includes mental health screening.
Placement in a unit or wing

Part of the assessment process is used to determine where a person will initially be placed in a prison.

Many prisons will have a unit where new arrivals will spend their first days.

New arrivals will be taken to the unit they have been assigned to and allocated a cell. This may be a single
cell or a cell shared with another.

Soon after they arrive in the unit, staff will explain the rules and regulations of the prison and the routine
of their unit. This includes:

a) rules of the prison

b) unit procedures and routines
c) rules on authorised property
d) prisoners entitlements
e) offences against discipline
f) the complaints process
g) availability of support staff

This includes how they can contact family or friends, have visitors, use health services and contact staff like
the social worker and chaplain who can help them adjust to prison life.
Youth

If a person is aged 17 or under when they arrive in prison they are placed in a youth unit.
Health care

We provide primary health care to people in prison. This includes general practitioner (GP) services,
nursing and basic dentistry and some disability support services.

Each prison has a health centre with registered nurses employed by Corrections. Doctors and dentists are
contracted to provide medical and dental care.

Provision of secondary and tertiary health care services is the responsibility of the local District Health
Board. Prisoners are referred by prison health services under the same eligibility criteria as any other
member of the public.

Every person entering prison has their health needs assessed when they arrive and ongoing care and
treatment is given if required. This includes access to nicotine replacement therapy, as all prisons are
smoke free.

This assessment includes whether a person is a risk to themselves or others.

Mental health needs

Research has found that mental health disorders and illnesses are up to five times more prevalent among
people in prison than in the general population.

All people in prison aged over 18 are screened as part of the arrival process to assess if they have a mental
health need. If they have a mild to moderate mental health need they can be referred to the prison doctor
or receive counselling, including if eligible, cognitive behavioural therapy.

Anyone with serious mental health needs are managed in partnership with their local Regional Forensic
Mental Health Services.

In acute cases, a person may be transferred to a secure forensic mental health facility. These services are
managed by District Health Boards.
People with physical disabilities

People with physical disabilities receive the same level of support in prison that would be available to them
in the wider community. This is funded through the local District Health Board disability and support
services.

When a person with a disability is received into prison, a plan around managing their disability is
developed. This plan takes into consideration their security classification and how they will interact with
others.

Where possible people with disabilities are provided with supporting equipment, such as wheelchairs.
Prisons have cells specifically designed for people with disabilities.
Minimum entitlement provisions
1. Every prisoner may, on a daily basis, take at least one hour of physical exercise. The exercise may be
taken by the prisoner in the open air if the weather permits. This entitlement may be denied, for not more
than 2 consecutive days at a time, if:

2. Prisoners must be provided with a separate bed and mattress, and sufficient bedding for warmth, health
and reasonable comfort.

3. Prisoners must be provided with:

a. a sufficient quantity of wholesome food and drink that conforms to the food and nutritional
guidelines (see F.01.Res.01 Catering)
b. as far as practical in the circumstances, food and drink that makes allowance for the various
religious and cultural needs
c. breakfast no more than 14 hours from the previous evening meal, unless food for supper has been
provided with the evening meal
d. at least three meals per day, one of which is hot
e. drinking water at convenient locations throughout the prison.

4. Every prisoner is entitled to receive at least one private visitor each week, approved through the visitor
application process, for a minimum duration of 30 minutes.

5. Prisoners have access to statutory and specified visitors.

6. Every prisoner is entitled to make at least 1 outgoing telephone call of up to 5 minutes duration per
week at his or her own expense.

7. Every prisoner is entitled to receive medical treatment, if reasonably necessary.

8. The Chief Executive must ensure that the information and education needs of prisoners are provided for
at all times.
Meals
Indicative menu (subject to change)

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Breakfast
Weetbix, Milk Ricies, Milk Cornflakes, Milk Weetbix, Milk Ricies, Milk Cornflakes, Milk Weetbix, Milk

Toast (2), Toast (2), Toast (2), Toast (2), Toast (2), Toast (2), Toast (2),
Margarine, Margarine, Margarine, Margarine, Margarine, Margarine, Margarine,
Jam Jam Peanut Butter Jam Jam Peanut Butter Jam
Tea, Sugar Tea, Sugar Tea, Sugar Tea, Sugar Tea, Sugar Tea, Sugar Tea, Sugar

Lunch
Mixed Grain Mixed Grain Mixed Grain Mixed Grain Mixed Grain Chicken and Mixed Grain
Sandwiches (2) Sandwiches (2) Sandwiches (2) Sandwiches (2) Sandwiches (2) vegetable Sandwiches (2)
- Cheese, onion - Cheese, onion - Cheese, onion - Cheese, onion - Cheese, onion couscous salad - Cheese, onion
and salad and salad and salad and salad and salad and salad
- Luncheon, Luncheon, relish Luncheon, relish Luncheon, relish Luncheon, relish Luncheon, relish
relish and and salad and salad and salad and salad and salad
salad
Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit Fresh Fruit (1
serve) serve) serve) serve) serve) (1 serve) serve)

Dinner

Beef Patties (2) Roast Beef Chicken Beef and Lentils Fish Fillet Roast Steak and
Sausages (2) Bolognaise Chicken Cheese Pie

Vegetables (2 Vegetables (2 Vegetables (2 Vegetables (2 Vegetables (2 Vegetables (2 Vegetables (2

serves) serves) serves) serves) serves) serves) serves)

Potato Potato Potato Pasta (part of Potato Potato Potato

main dish)

Tomato Gravy Gravy Onion Gravy None Tomato Sauce Gravy Tomato Sauce

Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1 Fresh Fruit (1
serve) serve) serve) serve) serve) serve) serve)

Milk Yoghurt Milk Yoghurt Milk Yoghurt Yoghurt

Supper

Muffin Muffin Muffin Muffin Muffin Muffin Muffin