06 October 2020
C126486
Sarah Fort
[FYI request #13754 email] Dear Ms Fort
Thank you for your email of 10 September 2020, requesting information about the
location of Ashley Winter. Your request has been considered under the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA).
New Zealand law, consistent with international instruments such as the United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, requires male and
female people to be detained in separate prisons or in separate units within a prison.
This is necessary for the safety and welfare of people in prison, and for the security
and good order of prisons. While placement in a men’s or women’s prison is a
straightforward matter for most people, for a very small group, it can be more
challenging.
At any one time there may be around 30 to 50 people in our prisons identifying as
transgender. This accounts for a small percentage of the current total prison
population of around 10,000 prisoners.
Corrections’ policy regarding the management of transgender people is publicly
available at
: www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/policy_and_legislation/Prison-
Operations-Manual/Induction/I.10-Management-of-transgender-prisoners
The placement of transgender and intersex people in a men’s or women’s prison,
including the process for a review of initial determination of placement, is managed in
accordance with Prison Operations Manual M.03.05 policy. This is publicly available
at:
www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/policy_and_legislation/ Prison-Operations-
Manual/Movement/M.03-Specified-gender-and-age-movements/M.03.05-
Transgender-prisoner
2
While Corrections has obligations under Section 9(2)(a) of the OIA to protect all
personal information we hold, including information about offenders, I have
determined that under section 9(1) of the OIA, that public interest in the information
you have requested outweighs privacy concerns. I can confirm that Ashley Winter is
housed in a men’s prison.
I trust this information is useful.
Yours sincerely
Robert Jones
Manager Ministerial Services
People and Capability
