Office of the Inspectorate prison inspection news
12 September 2025
Inspection of Whanganui Prison to take place in October/November 2025
A team from the Office of the Inspectorate will visit Whanganui Prison in October/November 2025 to complete fieldwork for an announced prison inspection. Terms of reference are here.
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 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.
8 July 2025
Inspection of Otago Corrections Facility to take place in September 2025
A team from the Office of the Inspectorate will visit Otago Corrections Facility in September 2025 to complete fieldwork for an announced prison inspection. Terms of reference are here.
The prison inspection report will be published on the Inspectorate website in due course.
26 May 2025
Three more prison inspections announced
The Office of the Inspectorate has announced the locations of the next three prison inspections for the 2025/2026 reporting year. They will be:
- Otago Corrections Facility
- Whanganui (including the New Plymouth Remand Centre)
- Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility (include the Nikau Unit on the grounds of Waikeria Prison)
The dates of the inspections are to be confirmed soon.
Inspections are guided by Inspection Standards, which describe the standards of treatment of prisoners and conditions that prisons are expected to achieve.
12 March 2025
Inspection of Spring Hill Corrections Facility to take place in May 2025
A team from the Office of the Inspectorate will visit Spring Hill Corrections Facility in May 2025 to complete fieldwork for an announced prison inspection. Terms of reference are here.
The prison inspection report will be published on the Inspectorate website in due course.
9 December 2024
Inspection of Hawke's Bay Regional Prison to take place in February 2025
A team from the Office of the Inspectorate will visit Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison in February 2025 to complete fieldwork for an announced prison inspection. Terms of reference are here.
The prison inspection report will be published on the Inspectorate website in due course.