07 July 2023
C168285
Mason
[FYI request #22703 email]
Tēnā koe Mason
Thank you for your request of 6 May 2023 to the Department of Corrections – Ara Poutama
Aotearoa, requesting information about Electronic Monitoring (EM) and the Buddi system.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).
As we advised in our correspondence to you of 30 May 2023, the fol owing parts of your
request have been transferred to the Ministry of Justice in accordance with section 14 of the
OIA:
In the 3 months of 2021, September, October, and November:
- how many times was a prosecution launched for a breach of bail / parole / other form of
breach such as a parole recall, result from those failures to charge? Please forward this
portion of the request to the MOJ or Police should that be appropriate. In which case, it is
likely that there may need to be col aboration.
In the 3 months of 2022, September, October, and November:
- how many times was a prosecution launched for a breach of bail / parole / other form of
breach such as a parole recall, result from a failure to charge trackers? Please forward this
portion of the request to the MOJ or Police should that be appropriate. In which case, it is
likely that there may need to be col aboration.
The responses to the remainder of your request are below.
Corrections does not determine who is subject to electronic monitoring – this is a decision
for the courts and the New Zealand Parole Board (NZPB). The courts may impose an
electronic monitoring condition as part of community-based sentences and orders (for
example Community Detention, Home Detention or an Extended Supervision Order) or as
part of bail. The NZPB may also impose an electronic monitoring condition when granting
Parole.
Electronic monitoring provides an additional tool in the overal management of people on
community-based sentences and orders. It does not replace effective supervision from
probation officers, the use of interventions and programmes, regular risk assessments, and
pro-social community support.
NATIONAL OFFICE, WELLINGTON
Mayfair House, 44 – 52 The Terrace, Wellington, 6011, Private Box 1206, Wellington 6140,
Phone +64 4 460 3000
www.corrections.govt.nz
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Corrections has a team available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to respond to
potential non-compliance with electronic monitoring. How Corrections responds differs
depending on the seriousness of the case and can include contacting the individual or their
whānau by phone, sending a field officer to check in with the individual and contacting
Police. Corrections works closely with Police to respond to incidents of absconds from
electronic monitoring.
- Please provide the OIA response to DEBBIE PORTEOUS of the Otago Times from
2010 that was referenced in this article
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.odt.co.
nz%2Fnews%2Fdunedin%2Fmonitoring-equipment-fails-hundreds-
times&data=05%7C01%7Cinfo%40corrections.govt.nz%7C457ca394456f4ad4a74f08
db4dfafc91%7Cfc4d60d1bb674d7b898109a1c54e91ea%7C0%7C0%7C638189513848
762466%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiL
CJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1rGHUTUWK3LuNl
Q2a5Y1epRs4rqdK4Jr5dQuEPTB75U%3D&reserved=0.
Please see the OIA response to Debbie Porteous attached as Appendix One.
In the 3 months of 2021, September, October, and November:
- On average, how many people were subject to EM at any one time?
Please see below for the average number of people subject to EM in September, October
and November of 2021. Note, this also includes people who were subject to EM Bail, which
is jointly managed by Corrections and Police.
Month
Average number of people subject to
EM
September 2021
5,556
October 2021
5,428
November 2021
5,313
- how many faults were recorded for EM equipment?
This information was not reported by Corrections or our EM provider during the timeframe
specified. This part of your request is therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as
the information requested is not held by Corrections, and we have no grounds for believing
that it is held by another agency or more closely connected with the functions of another
agency.
- please provide the quantities of each type of equipment (OBC, trackers, base
station.. ) that was retuned for repair or to be sent back to the supplier. Please
itemise each category of equipment; dates are not required, just quantities.
This information was not reported by Corrections or our EM provider during the timeframe
specified. This part of your request is therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as
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the information requested is not held by Corrections, and we have no grounds for believing
that it is held by another agency or more closely connected with the functions of another
agency.
- how many times was EM equipment failed to be charge resulting in an alert in the
monitoring system? RF bracelets did not require charging, so this request is
inherently limited to those who were subject to EM equipment that required charging
(EM Bail, Home detention, Parole).
As noted, Corrections has staff available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to
respond to potential non-compliance with electronic monitoring. How Corrections responds
differs depending on the seriousness of the event and can include contacting the individual
by phone, sending a field officer to check in with the individual and contacting Police.
Month
Number of times a low battery alert
generated due to a person failing to
charge equipment
September 2021
30,674
October 2021
34,636
November 2021
36,439
New Buddi system:
In the 3 months of 2022, September, October, and November:
- On average, how many people were subject to EM at any one time?
Please see below for the average number of people subject to EM in September, October
and November of 2022. Note, this also includes people who were subject to EM Bail, which
is jointly managed by Corrections and Police.
Month
Average number of people subject to
EM
September 2022
5,884
October 2022
5,854
November 2022
5,926
- how many faults were recorded for EM equipment?
Corrections holds data relating to faults in Smart Tags, which is displayed below.
Information regarding faults in other types of EM equipment are not recorded and are
therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information requested is not held
by Corrections, and we have no grounds for believing that it is held by another agency or
more closely connected with the functions of another agency.
Month
Recorded faults with Smart Tags
September 2022
10
October 2022
6
November 2022
6
4
- please provide the quantity of each type of equipment (OBC, trackers, base
station.. ) that was retuned for repair or to be sent back to the supplier. Please
itemise each category of equipment; dates are not required, just quantitiess.
The below table shows the number of equipment items which were damaged in the months
of September, October, and November 2022, broken down by the type of equipment which
was damaged. Please note that this data does not include equipment which was returned
due to being faulty.
Damaged/Faulty Items
Returned to the Supplier for
Repair
September October November
2022
2022
2022
Smart Tag
-
48
31
On-Body Charger
-
6
14
On-Body Charger Dock
-
-
18
Strap
104
134
153
RF Beacon
-
1
5
Smart Beacon
-
-
4
Field officer strap roll
3
2
3
Field officer release tool
3
1
8
Field officer ankle measure
2
1
1
Please note that tampering with a strap generates an alert, which prompts a response from
our Electronic Monitoring team, who operate 24 hours a day.
- how many times was EM equipment failed to be charge resulting in an alert in the
monitoring system? RF bracelets did not require charging, so this request is inherently
limited to those who were subject to EM equipment that required charging (EM Bail,
Home detention, Parole).
Month
Number of times a low battery alert
generated due to a person failing to
charge equipment
September 2022
17,211
October 2022
18,570
November 2022
18,705
Please note that this response may be published on Corrections’ website. Typical y,
responses are published quarterly, or as otherwise determined. Your personal information
including name and contact details will be removed for publication.
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I trust the information provided is of assistance. I encourage you to raise any concerns
about this response with Corrections. Alternatively, you are advised of your right to also
raise any concerns with the Office of the Ombudsman. Contact details are: Office of the
Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wel ington 6143.
Ngā mihi
Brigid Kean
Acting National Commissioner
