Special investigation into the management of three wāhine at ARWCF
On 17 February 2020, the Office of the Inspectorate received a letter from a lawyer representing three women prisoners, which raised a number of concerns about their management at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility.
Following initial inquiries, Chief Inspector Janis Adair decided to conduct a special investigation into the management of these women over the period February 2019 to February 2020.
A natural justice process was followed in drafting this special investigation report. The complainants were invited to comment and provide feedback.
The special investigation found that, generally, the management of three women began appropriately, with difficult behaviours being responded to in accordance with Departmental policy.
However, from around mid-2019, the management of the women began to depart from Departmental policy, with significant failures to adhere to the requirements of the Prison Operations Manual and the Corrections Regulations 2005.
This report sets out a catalogue of failures that should not have arisen and, having arisen, ought to have been identified and remediated promptly.
Please note: A natural justice process was followed in drafting the special investigation report. The three women were invited, through their lawyer, to comment and provide feedback. Names and personal information have been redacted in the public version of this report at the request of the three women, to protect their privacy and the privacy of their whānau. Staff names have also been redacted. Other sections of the report have been redacted for privacy reasons.