OFFICE OF THE INSPECTORATE Te Tari Tirohia

9  October 2023

In December 2023, a team from the Office of the Inspectorate will visit Rimutaka Prison to complete fieldwork for an announced prison inspection.

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

The inspection visit will take place from Saturday 2 December to Friday 8 December 2023.

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

“Inspections provide a ‘window into prisons’, giving early warning of emerging risks and challenges, and highlighting areas of innovation and good practice,” says Chief Inspector Janis Adair.  “Inspections play a critical part in ensuring independent oversight of the corrections system.”

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 the Inspection Standards, which describe the standards of treatment of prisoners and conditions that prisons are expected to achieve. The Inspection Standards have recently been supplemented by a new series of Leadership Standards.

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.