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 e mail.

 

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

 

Official Information Act 1982 and Privacy Act 1993 requests received on or
after 27 November 2020 will take into account the Christmas period.

The period 25 December 2020 to 18 January 2020 inclusive is not considered
“working days”. That means any requests submitted on 27 November 2020 or
later may take a bit longer than expected for a response.

Further information can be found on the Office of the Ombudsman’s website
at  [1]https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

 

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 [2]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.

 

In most cases we are required to ask the person in prison for their
permission to release their information to you.  If you do not want the
person to know you are asking about them, please let us know as soon as
possible.

 

If you are a victim, you will find information about the Victim
Notification Register on our website [3]here.

 

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

 

Our website, [5]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/ provides up to date news
and information about our work, you can also follow us on [6]Facebook and
[7]Twitter.

 

Kind regards,

The Ministerial Services Team

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

Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your email of 27 November 2020 requesting information
relating to prisoners kept in double-bunked cells.

 

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 #14211 email]>
Sent: 27 November 2020 10:15 a.m.
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Double-bunking and sexual assault
2020

 

Tēnā koutou,

 

In August 2017 (ref C88400), I asked the Department of Corrections for the
number of prisoners in each prison who had been convicted of a sexual
crime and were currently double-bunked. I was told that, as at 31 July
2017, 670 prisoners who had ever been convicted of a sexual offence were
double bunked across New Zealand.

 

I would like to request comparable information, so I can see how the
practice of double bunking prisoners with convictions of sexual offences
has changed over the last three years.

 

Please release the following information, broken down by prison:

 

1. The number of prisoners currently kept in double-bunked cells who:

1a. Are serving a sentence for a conviction of a sexual offence 1b. Have
one or more historical convictions for a sexual offence 1c. Have either
current or historical convictions for a sexual offence

 

For clarification on part 1c of my request, I mean for it to be a total of
prisoners counted in parts 1a or 1b. I understand that some prisoners kept
in double-bunked cells may be serving sentences for a conviction of a
sexual offence and also have one or more such historical convictions, so
the sum of the numbers of prisoners requested in parts 1a and 1b would
count those prisoners twice.

 

To ensure this information is comparable to that provided in 2017, I would
prefer that the same definition of a sexual offence be used. As per the
response letter I received on 6 November 2017:

 

“A sexual offence is any offence included in division 03 of the Australia
and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification 2011, accessible at:
[6]http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/...

 

However, if there is a new definition of sexual offence which you believe
would be reasonable to use instead, I would be happy to discuss this and
its potential implications for comparing the two data sets.

 

Please provide this information in an accessible, searchable format. I
would prefer to receive the requested figures in a machine-readable
spreadsheet format, such as CSV or XLSX.

 

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.

 

If any part of my request is to be refused, under section 19(a)(ii) of the
Official Information Act please provide the grounds in support of the
reason for refusal.

 

Also, if the time limit for this request is extended under section
15A(1)(b) of the Official Information Act, please explain what
consultations are necessary to make a decision on my request, why they are
necessary, and why they could not be reasonably completed within the
original time limit.

 

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:

[7][FOI #14211 email]

 

Is [8][Department of Corrections request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Department of Corrections? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[9]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:

[10]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. http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/...
7. mailto:[FOI #14211 email]
8. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
9. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
10. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Mark,

Please see attached correspondence from the Department of Corrections.

Nga mihi,

Ministerial Services
Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa
a: National Office, Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington, 6011

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hanna <[FOI #14211 email]>
Sent: 27 November 2020 10:15 a.m.
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Double-bunking and sexual assault 2020

Tēnā koutou,

In August 2017 (ref C88400), I asked the Department of Corrections for the number of prisoners in each prison who had been convicted of a sexual crime and were currently double-bunked. I was told that, as at 31 July 2017, 670 prisoners who had ever been convicted of a sexual offence were double bunked across New Zealand.

I would like to request comparable information, so I can see how the practice of double bunking prisoners with convictions of sexual offences has changed over the last three years.

Please release the following information, broken down by prison:

1. The number of prisoners currently kept in double-bunked cells who:
1a. Are serving a sentence for a conviction of a sexual offence 1b. Have one or more historical convictions for a sexual offence 1c. Have either current or historical convictions for a sexual offence

For clarification on part 1c of my request, I mean for it to be a total of prisoners counted in parts 1a or 1b. I understand that some prisoners kept in double-bunked cells may be serving sentences for a conviction of a sexual offence and also have one or more such historical convictions, so the sum of the numbers of prisoners requested in parts 1a and 1b would count those prisoners twice.

To ensure this information is comparable to that provided in 2017, I would prefer that the same definition of a sexual offence be used. As per the response letter I received on 6 November 2017:

“A sexual offence is any offence included in division 03 of the Australia and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification 2011, accessible at: http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/...

However, if there is a new definition of sexual offence which you believe would be reasonable to use instead, I would be happy to discuss this and its potential implications for comparing the two data sets.

Please provide this information in an accessible, searchable format. I would prefer to receive the requested figures in a machine-readable spreadsheet format, such as CSV or XLSX.

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.

If any part of my request is to be refused, under section 19(a)(ii) of the Official Information Act please provide the grounds in support of the reason for refusal.

Also, if the time limit for this request is extended under section 15A(1)(b) of the Official Information Act, please explain what consultations are necessary to make a decision on my request, why they are necessary, and why they could not be reasonably completed within the original time limit.

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:
[FOI #14211 email]

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

hide quoted sections

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 e mail.

 

If you are requesting information we are required to comply with the
Privacy Act 2020, the Official Information Act 1982 and the Victims Rights
Act 2002.

 

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

 

Official Information Act 1982 and Privacy Act 2020 requests received on or
after 27 November 2020 will take into account the Christmas period.

The period 25 December 2020 to 18 January 2020 inclusive is not considered
“working days”. That means any requests submitted on 27 November 2020 or
later may take a bit longer than expected for a response.

Further information can be found on the Office of the Ombudsman’s website
at  [1]https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

 

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

 

All media queries should be sent to [2][email address].

 

If you are a friend or family member of someone in prison, you can find
some useful information [3]here.

 

In most cases we are required to ask the person in prison for their
permission to release their information to you.  If you do not want the
person to know you are asking about them, please let us know as soon as
possible.

 

If you are a victim, you will find information about the Victim
Notification Register on our website [4]here.

 

Our website, [5]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/ provides up to date news
and information about our work, you can also follow us on [6]Facebook and
[7]Twitter.

 

Kind regards,

The Ministerial Services Team

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

Kia ora Mark,

Corrections endeavours to provide responses to Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) requests as soon as possible and in accordance with statutory timeframes. To enable a response to your OIA request, consultation with several business units across Corrections needs to take place. The timeframe has therefore been extended by 20 working days in accordance with section 15A(1)(b) of the OIA.

Ngā mihi,

Ministerial Services
Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa
a: National Office, Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington, 6011

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hanna <[FOI #14211 email]>
Sent: 18 January 2021 11:10 a.m.
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: Re: C129115 Correspondence from Corrections

Tēnā koe,

Thank you for your letter of extension. Given a whole extra 20 working days are needed, I'm disappointed that the Department of Corrections has taken until the original legal due date of this request to notify me of this extension. Though I am aware that the Official Information Act does not require that notices of extension must be communicated as soon as reasonably practicable, I would still have hoped to be informed of any extension soon after it became clear that it would be necessary. It seems very unlikely to me that the necessity of this extension of an additional 20 working days only became apparent to the Department of Corrections today.

Please explain to me what specific consultations are necessary to make a decision on this request, and why they could not reasonably have been completed within the original time limit.

Ngā mihi,
Mark Hanna

-----Original Message-----

Kia ora Mark,

Please see attached correspondence from the Department of Corrections.

Nga mihi,

Ministerial Services
Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa
a: National Office, Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington, 6011

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #14211 email]

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

hide quoted sections

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 e mail.

 

If you are requesting information we are required to comply with the
Privacy Act 2020, the Official Information Act 1982 and the Victims Rights
Act 2002.

 

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 [1]here.

 

In most cases we are required to ask the person in prison for their
permission to release their information to you.  If you do not want the
person to know you are asking about them, please let us know as soon as
possible.

 

All media queries should be sent to [2][email address].

 

If you are a victim, you will find information about the Victim
Notification Register on our website [3]here.

 

Our website, [4]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/ provides up to date news
and information about our work, you can also follow us on [5]Facebook and
[6]Twitter.

 

Kind regards,

The Ministerial Services Team

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

Kia ora Mark,

As previously advised in our response to you on 19 January 2021, the extension on the statutory timeframe was needed to enable consultation with a number of business units across Corrections. This includes consultation with our data team and subject matter experts to ensure the accuracy of information.

Should you have any concerns regarding this response you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate our decision to extend the timeframe. Contact details are: Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

Ngā mihi,

Ministerial Services
Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa
a: National Office, Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington, 6011

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hanna <[FOI #14211 email]>
Sent: 31 January 2021 11:55 a.m.
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Double-bunking and sexual assault 2020

Tēnā koe,

It has been nearly two weeks now since I asked what specific consultations the Department of Corrections has determined are necessary to make a decision on this request, and why they could not reasonably have been completed within the original time limit.

I'm not sure why this information has not been forthcoming. The Department of Corrections must already have determined the answers to these questions in order to justify its extension on this request. It seems unlikely that there would be good reasons to refuse to release the information that would answer these questions. I'm sure it should be reasonably practicable to provide answers to these simple questions very quickly.

Again, I would like to reiterate my questions about this extension:

What *specific* consultations has the Department of Corrections identified as being necessary in order to make a decision on this request?

Why could these consultations not reasonably have been completed within the original time limit?

Ngā mihi,
Mark Hanna

-----Original Message-----

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 e mail.

 

If you are requesting information we are required to comply with the Privacy Act 2020, the Official Information Act 1982 and the Victims Rights Act 2002.

 

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 [1]here.

 

In most cases we are required to ask the person in prison for their permission to release their information to you.  If you do not want the person to know you are asking about them, please let us know as soon as possible.

 

All media queries should be sent to [2][email address].

 

If you are a victim, you will find information about the Victim Notification Register on our website [3]here.

 

Our website, [4]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/ provides up to date news and information about our work, you can also follow us on [5]Facebook and [6]Twitter.

 

Kind regards,

The Ministerial Services Team

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #14211 email]

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

hide quoted sections

Kia ora,

 

Please find attached response from Corrections.

 

Thanks,

Ministerial Services

Ara Poutama Aotearoa, Department of Corrections

a: National Office, Freyburg 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

Kia ora Mark,

 

I refer to your complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the
adequacy of Corrections’ response to your queries about the consultations
undertaken to complete a response to your Official Information Act request
(our ref: C129115).

 

As the information you requested was of a sensitive nature, a thorough
review and consultation process was required. It is worth noting that the
consultation and review process is not necessarily linear. At different
stages of the review process questions are raised which can result in the
requirement for further consultation with relevant parties to address any
gaps in information, answer any queries and clarify the data.

 

Consideration must also be given to the high caseloads of each person
involved in the consultation and review process, as well as the response
being drafted over the Christmas and New Year period.

 

The following people and business units were involved in the drafting,
consultation and review process.

o Consultation with the General Manager Research and Analysis for
requested data.
o Review of data and information by Ministerial Services Adviser.
o Review of data and information by Senior Adviser Ministerial Services.
o Review of data and information by Senior Adviser to the National
Commissioner.
o Review of data and information by Principal Adviser Ministerial
Services.
o Review of data and information by Manager Ministerial Services.
o Review of data and information by General Manager, People and
Capability.
o Review and sign out by National Commissioner.

 

I hope this information provides clarification on the reasons for the
delay in Corrections’ response to you.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

Brydie Raethel | Principal Ministerial Services Adviser |

National Office | Department of Corrections Ara Poutama Aotearoa |

Freyberg Building, 20 Aitken Street, Wellington | Private Bag 1206,
Wellington 6140 |

[1]1 [2]4,3,2

 

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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. file:///tmp/foiextract20210316-1061-1136hv7#MicrosoftOfficeMap0