The Government will expand prison capacity, hire more frontline Corrections officers and put more money into rehabilitation programmes in a $1.9 billion package.
Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell made the announcement alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the post-Cabinet press conference today.
Mitchell said the Government had said it would “crack down on crime” and restore law and order, and that meant “ensuring there are serious consequences for serious offenders”.
The announcement was a promise in the National / ACT coalition agreement to increase funding for prison capacity, he said.
“Through the Government’s savings programme, we have identified $442 million in savings over four years from Corrections. We’ve reinvested those resources in the frontline to support Corrections to keep New Zealanders safe.
“This means the Government can deliver an 810-bed extension to Waikeria prison to ensure capacity, safety and security across the prison network, supporting our commitment to stronger sentencing for criminals.
“We will also deliver 685 new frontline staff at Corrections, including 470 corrections officers, who will be recruited and trained to respond to growing prisoner numbers.”
Mitchell said Corrections’ frontline staff did an “exceptional job” managing violent and complex offenders.
“We’re investing in pay increases for those staff so Corrections can continue to attract, retain and train staff.”
He said it was also important to get the “right support” in place to help offenders break the cycle of offending and turn their lives around.
“That is why our Budget invests $78 million to extend rehabilitation programmes for the 45 per cent of prisoners who are on remand to access the support they need to turn their lives around.”
He said today’s announcement was part of a “comprehensive plan” to restore law and order and keep New Zealanders safe, including recruiting 500 additional frontline police, giving them powers to “crack down on gang offending and illegal firearms”, bringing back Three Strikes, establishing military academies for youth offenders and bringing in tougher sentences.
Today’s announcement also follows one in March by Mitchell that the Government would, as part of its 100 day plan, make it explicit in the law that prisoners on remand and convicted of a crime be provided with rehabilitation services.
“This will strengthen the requirement for Corrections to provide all remand convicted prisoners with offence-based rehabilitation, including rehabilitation programmes targeted towards violent and sexual offenders. Nearly 1400 prisoners could benefit at any one time.”
‘We won’t have a functioning economy if people don’t feel safe’
ACT leader David Seymour said the investment would help take dangerous criminals off the streets.
“Labour’s anti-prison agenda was a disastrous display of ideology over realism. The first and most important job of the state is to keep its citizens safe from those who would do them harm, and sometimes this meant locking up criminals.
“This is exactly why we pay taxes. The human cost of being a victim is nothing compared to the cost of imprisoning criminals, and we won’t have a functioning economy if people don’t feel safe doing business in their communities.
“This additional funding also paves the way for other ACT initiatives.”
He said that included the abolition of Labour’s prisoner reduction target, and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee restoring the Three Strikes policy, and making gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing, as well as Stephenson’s Parole (Mandatory Completion of Rehabilitative Programmes) Amendment Bill
It passed its first reading at the beginning of March, and submissions on it closed on April 16.
It would require prisoners to complete skills and rehabilitation programmes before they will be considered for parole.
In June 2022 Seymour decried the then-Labour Government’s approach, citing data showing the percentage of prisoners attending rehabilitation programmes dropped from 49% in 2017 to 41% in 2022.
“We should have an expectation that Corrections will do everything it can to ensure prisoners are working to become better members of society while they are serving sentences,” he said at the time.
How the prison beds add up
A spokesperson for Mark Mitchell later clarified Waikeria Prison currently had 455 beds.
“This funding uplift will go towards an 810-bed extension at Waikeria prison – on top of the 600 beds (this includes 100 mental health beds) that will come online next year.
“Once the extension announced today has been completed, Waikeria will have a capacity of 1865 beds.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the announcement showed the Government was more committed to prisons than schools and hospitals.
“If we got as tough on the causes of crime… then we wouldn’t have so many victims in the first place.”
He said, generally speaking, more funding for rehabilitation programmes was a good thing.