OFFICE OF THE INSPECTORATE Te Tari Tirohia

30 September 2024

Waikeria Prison riot inquiry update

On 20 June 2024, the Office of the Inspectorate released the report of the Inquiry into the Waikeria Prison riot (29 December 2020 – 3 January 2021). The report is here.

The report made 117 findings and 121 recommendations (of which, the Department accepted 117 in full). It included this recommendation: ‘Corrections must provide a comprehensive progress report to the Office of the Inspectorate, in writing, on all recommendations arising from this Inquiry in six months and thereafter at six monthly intervals’. The latest update, for September 2024, has now been published here.

10 September 2024

Progress update released for Suicide and Self-harm Threat to Life Incidents in New Zealand Prisons report

The Inspectorate's Suicide and Self-harm Threat to Life Incidents in New Zealand Prisons report was released in February 2024.

This report acknowledges that there are no easy solutions when it comes to suicide and self-harm prevention in prisons. However, there are practices and interventions that can help to save lives and reduce self-harm incidents. Corrections has a duty of care to all people in prison and must do everything it can to identify and mitigate the risk of suicide and self-harm.

The report included the recommendation that "Corrections must provide the Office of the Inspectorate with progress updates on the work to identify and mitigate against potential ligature points in cells across the prison network."

The first progress report has now been released, available here.

The report is here.

21 August 2024

Inspection of Mount Eden Corrections Facility planned for October

A team from the Office of the Inspectorate will visit Mount Eden Corrections Facility in October to complete fieldwork for an announced prison inspection.

Speaking with staff, prisoners and a range of stakeholders on and off site is an important part of our inspection methodology, allowing our team to explore all aspects of prison life.

Inspectors make their assessments with four key principles in mind to ensure that prisoners are treated in a fair, safe, secure and humane way. The principles are: safety, respect, purposeful activity and reintegration.

Inspections are guided by Inspection Standards, which describe the standards of treatment of prisoners and conditions that prisons are expected to achieve. The Inspection Standards were being revised and an updated version was published in mid 2024.

The Inspection Standards require inspectors to consider 10 areas of prison life: leadership; prison staff; reception, induction and escorts; duty of care; health (including substance use, mental health and disabled prisoners); environment; good order; purposeful activity; rehabilitation; and reintegration.

The prison inspection report will be published on the Inspectorate website in due course.

The Office of the Inspectorate is authorised under section 29(1)(b) of the Corrections Act 2004 to undertake inspections and visits to prisons. Inspection assessments are guided by four key principles of safety, respect, purposeful activity and reintegration.