Hello,

 

Thank you for contacting the Department of Corrections; this is an
automatic reply to confirm we have received your email – please do not
reply to this email.

 

Please note we are currently operating on a limited capacity and your
email might not be responded to immediately.

 

If your query is about Corrections’ response to COVID-19, including
visiting prisons or our management of prisoners and offenders in the
community, please check our FAQs using the link below:

[1]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/news/lat...

 

If you wish to get in touch with a prisoner, note that each prison has an
email address you can write to:
[2]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_...

 

If you wish to contact the prison directly, please refer to the contact
details on our website:

[3]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/about_us...

 

Depending on the nature of your request you may not receive an official
response for up to 20 working days.

 

Be assured we will endeavour to respond to you as quickly as possible.

 

If you are a friend or family member of someone in prison, you can find
some useful information [4]here.

 

If you are requesting information we are required to comply with the
Privacy Act 1993, the Official Information Act 1982 and the Victims Rights
Act 2002. This may include seeking consent from the prisoner to release
their information to you.

 

If you are a victim, you will find information about the Victim
Notification Register on our website [5]here.

 

If you are emailing regarding a media query, please contact
[6][email address]

 

Our website, [7]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/ provides up to date news
and information about our work, you can also follow us on [8]Facebook and
[9]Twitter.

 

Kind regards,

The Ministerial Services Team

[10][Department of Corrections request email]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain privileged or in confidence material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
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or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
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References

Visible links
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2. https://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_...
3. https://www.corrections.govt.nz/about_us...
4. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...
5. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/informati...
6. mailto:[email address]
7. https://www.corrections.govt.nz/
8. https://www.facebook.com/CorrectionsNZ/
9. https://twitter.com/correctionsnz
10. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]

Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your email of 06 September 2020 requesting information
relating to Prisoners incarcerated for violent crimes .

 

Please be advised your request has been received, and will be considered
under the Official Information Act 1982.

 

Please note that our response letter to you (with your personal details
redacted), and any enclosed documents, may be published on Corrections’
website.

 

Kind regards,

 

Ministerial Services

Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa

a: National Office, Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington, 6011

[1][IMG] [2][IMG] [3][IMG] [4][IMG] [5][IMG]

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hanna <[FYI request #13680 email]>
Sent: 06 September 2020 1:33 p.m.
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: C126283 Official Information request - Prisoners incarcerated for
violent crimes

 

Tēnā koutou,

 

In two recent news articles, RNZ has cited Department of Corrections chief
custodial officer Neil Beales, and the Department of Corrections more
generally, as the sources behind these statistics:

 

“[Department of Corrections chief custodial officer Neil] Beales said 75
percent of prisoners were incarcerated for violent crimes.”

[6]https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4249...

 

“The Department of Corrections said 75 percent of prisoners had been
convicted of violent crimes”

[7]https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4253...

 

It is my understanding, based on prison population statistics published on
the Department of Corrections website for June 2020, that only 63% of
prisoners are serving a sentence of imprisonment. The remaining 37% are
being held on remand.

[8]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resource...

 

Annual sentenced prisoner population data published on the Stats NZ
website show that 27% of prisoners in 2019 were serving sentences for
offences under the categories of “Offences against justice procedures,
government security and government operations”, “Traffic and vehicle
regulatory offences”, and “Property damage and environmental pollution”.
Though I am not an expert in this area, I do not believe any of these
categories of offences would be considered “violent crimes”.

[9]http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Inde...

 

Both of these statistics appear wholly incompatible with the claim that
75% of prisoners in New Zealand are incarcerated for violent crimes, so I
am confused as to what exactly the Department of Corrections is claiming
to be true and what evidence has been relied on.

 

I am not certain if RNZ may have misinterpreted what they have been told
by Corrections, if the data published by Corrections and Stats NZ is
inaccurate, if I may have misinterpreted this data, or if Corrections has
misled RNZ and - by extension - misled the public.

 

Please release the following information:

 

1a. How any prisoners are there in New Zealand?

1b. What offences does Corrections consider to fall within the category of
“violent crimes”?

1c. How many prisoners are serving sentences of imprisonment for violent
crimes?

 

Please also release the following information, regarding the two RNZ
articles I cited above:

 

2a. What specific representations were made to RNZ regarding the number or
proportion of prisoners who had been convicted of or are incarcerated for
violent crimes?

2b. What evidence does the Department of Corrections have to substantiate
these representations?

 

Please also explain any relevant caveats that should be kept in mind when
analysing this information.

 

Please provide this information in an accessible, searchable format.

 

If any part of my request is unclear, please don't hesitate to contact me.

 

If any of the information that I have requested is unavailable or would be
difficult to retrieve, but similar information might be readily available,
I would be happy to discuss altering or refining my request.

 

Ngā mihi,

Mark Hanna

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[10][FYI request #13680 email]

 

Is [11][Department of Corrections request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Department of Corrections? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[12]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[13]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain privileged or in confidence material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
2. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/CorrectionsNZ/
4. https://nz.linkedin.com/company/departme...
5. https://twitter.com/correctionsnz?lang=en
6. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4249...
7. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4253...
8. https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resource...
9. http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Inde...
10. mailto:[FYI request #13680 email]
11. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
12. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
13. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your email of 6 September 2020 requesting information
relating to prisoners in custody for violent crimes.

 

Please be advised your request has been received, and will be considered
under the Official Information Act 1982.

 

Please note that our response letter to you (with your personal details
redacted), and any enclosed documents, may be published on Corrections’
website.

 

Ngā mihi | Kind regards,

Ministerial Services

Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa

a: National Office, Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington, 6011

[1][IMG] [2][IMG] [3][IMG] [4][IMG] [5][IMG]

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hanna <[FOI #13680 email]>
Sent: 06 September 2020 1:33 p.m.
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: CM: C126283 Official Information request - Prisoners incarcerated
for violent crimes

 

Tēnā koutou,

 

In two recent news articles, RNZ has cited Department of Corrections chief
custodial officer Neil Beales, and the Department of Corrections more
generally, as the sources behind these statistics:

 

“[Department of Corrections chief custodial officer Neil] Beales said 75
percent of prisoners were incarcerated for violent crimes.”

[6]https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4249...

 

“The Department of Corrections said 75 percent of prisoners had been
convicted of violent crimes”

[7]https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4253...

 

It is my understanding, based on prison population statistics published on
the Department of Corrections website for June 2020, that only 63% of
prisoners are serving a sentence of imprisonment. The remaining 37% are
being held on remand.

[8]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resource...

 

Annual sentenced prisoner population data published on the Stats NZ
website show that 27% of prisoners in 2019 were serving sentences for
offences under the categories of “Offences against justice procedures,
government security and government operations”, “Traffic and vehicle
regulatory offences”, and “Property damage and environmental pollution”.
Though I am not an expert in this area, I do not believe any of these
categories of offences would be considered “violent crimes”.

[9]http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Inde...

 

Both of these statistics appear wholly incompatible with the claim that
75% of prisoners in New Zealand are incarcerated for violent crimes, so I
am confused as to what exactly the Department of Corrections is claiming
to be true and what evidence has been relied on.

 

I am not certain if RNZ may have misinterpreted what they have been told
by Corrections, if the data published by Corrections and Stats NZ is
inaccurate, if I may have misinterpreted this data, or if Corrections has
misled RNZ and - by extension - misled the public.

 

Please release the following information:

 

1a. How any prisoners are there in New Zealand?

1b. What offences does Corrections consider to fall within the category of
“violent crimes”?

1c. How many prisoners are serving sentences of imprisonment for violent
crimes?

 

Please also release the following information, regarding the two RNZ
articles I cited above:

 

2a. What specific representations were made to RNZ regarding the number or
proportion of prisoners who had been convicted of or are incarcerated for
violent crimes?

2b. What evidence does the Department of Corrections have to substantiate
these representations?

 

Please also explain any relevant caveats that should be kept in mind when
analysing this information.

 

Please provide this information in an accessible, searchable format.

 

If any part of my request is unclear, please don't hesitate to contact me.

 

If any of the information that I have requested is unavailable or would be
difficult to retrieve, but similar information might be readily available,
I would be happy to discuss altering or refining my request.

 

Ngā mihi,

Mark Hanna

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[10][FOI #13680 email]

 

Is [11][Department of Corrections request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Department of Corrections? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[12]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[13]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain privileged or in confidence material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
2. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/CorrectionsNZ/
4. https://nz.linkedin.com/company/departme...
5. https://twitter.com/correctionsnz?lang=en
6. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4249...
7. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4253...
8. https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resource...
9. http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Inde...
10. mailto:[FOI #13680 email]
11. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
12. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
13. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Kia ora

 

Please find the attached correspondence from Corrections.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Ministerial Services

Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa

a: National Office, Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington, 6011

[1][IMG] [2][IMG] [3][IMG] [4][IMG] [5][IMG]

 

 

 

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The
information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department
of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed and may contain privileged or in confidence material. Any
review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or
part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons
or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all
computers.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
2. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/CorrectionsNZ/
4. https://nz.linkedin.com/company/departme...
5. https://twitter.com/correctionsnz?lang=en