16 August 2021
C136983
Ti Lamusse
[FYI request #15654 email]
Tēnā koe Ti
Thank you for your email of 4 June 2021, requesting information relating to prisoner
incentives, employment and income schemes. Your request has been considered
under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). Thank you for your patience, I
apologise for the delay in responding to your request.
The Prisoner Incentive Allowance Framework was introduced in 2002 and is aimed
to provide all people in prison with an incentive to improve their work habits, attend
vocational training, and attend rehabilitative programmes as detailed in their
individual offender management plans. The rates of pay have remained the same
since 2002.
People in prison undertake employment, and training through this incentive scheme
on a voluntary basis. Corrections pays people in prison a small allowance through
this framework to encourage them to take part in activities that we know will help with
their rehabilitation and reintegration. This allowance is not a wage or a salary.
The Prisoner Incentive Allowance Framework provides an allowance for people in
prison ranging from $0.00 to $0.60 per hour across six classes of payment as shown
in the table below:
Current Prisoner Incentive Allowance Framework
Class
Description
Allowance rate per hour
Refusal to participate, dismissed from work or
Class Zero
$0.00
removed from programmes
$2.70 per week, or $0.09 per
Class One
Sick or unemployed remand, or sentenced
hour
Class Two
Initial employment/ programmes rate
$0.20 per hour
Average - Employment/programmes rate, for
Class Three
$0.30 per hour
improved behaviour and skill
Senior - Top rate for unit employment, work
Class Four
$0.40 per hour
and programmes
Advanced - Available to people employed in
Class Five
$0.60 per hour
specified industries
$0.20 to $0.40 per hour, or
Class Six
Programme/study allowance
employment rate if employed
2
The decision to advance a person’s incentive level is made by their work supervisor.
If the person is not in employment, but is in a programme or training, the relevant
supervisor will complete the process. People in prison will commence on the initial
allowance level, Class two. They can progress to different allowance classes when
the results of Formative Assessment forms permit an increase. The incentive
allowance payment is an automatic entitlement, provided assessment requirements
are met and timesheets indicate that work or attendance at programmes has
occurred.
Individuals must remain on Class two for a minimum period of two weeks (10
working days) prior to being assessed for a higher allowance, to allow for a
considered judgement to be made on progress. People who move from one prison
site start work at the new prison on the Class two rate.
Money earnt through the incentives scheme can used to purchase canteen items, TV
rental and hobby materials. The cost of items has fluctuated over the years but have
not increased significantly. This is due to more efficient purchasing procedures,
which allows people in prison to purchase affordable items. The cost of phone cards
has also remained static since 2011. These prices are set nationally and remain
consistent across all of Corrections’ sites.
Employment and industry training, including our Release to Work (RtW) programme,
are hugely beneficial avenues for people under Corrections’ management to gain
real work experience and employment skills, making it easier for them to find work
on release. Having a job means someone is able to provide for themselves and their
family, connect with pro-social support and it gives them a sense of pride.
The RtW programme allows minimum security prisoners, who are assessed as
suitable, to engage in paid employment in the community where they can gain
experience, employment skills and job stability to support them into work and to live
crime free on release. People employed on RtW are paid at a full market rate
determined by their employer, and have previously taken part in unit and prison-
based activities and education to ensure they are well-prepared for community-
based employment and that the public are safe.
In addition to the training and employment opportunities in prison, Corrections
operates a recruitment service where specialised recruitment consultants help place
people under Corrections’ management into jobs in preparation for their release from
prison, or while they are serving a community sentence.
You requested:
1. Has the Department of Corrections implemented any changes to the prisoner
incentives/employment/income scheme since 01 Jan 2021?
2. Please provide me with all policy documents, briefings, memos, regulatory
amendments and other documents, which detail these changes since 01 Jan
2021 (if any such changes have occured).
3
No policy changes have been made to the Prisoner Incentive Framework since 1
January 2021. As such the second part of this request is declined under section
18(e) of the OIA, as the documents you have requested do not exist.
Minor changes were made to the Release to Work section of the Prisoner
Operations Manual on 26 July 2021. A copy of the changes is attached as Appendix
One. Some information is excluded as outside of scope of your request.
3. Please provide me with the most up to date policy documents about the
prisoner incentive/employment/income scheme.
Please note: I have used the descriptor "incentive/employment/income", as
this descriptor has varied over the last twenty years. By this, I am referring to
the scheme by which prisoners receive some form of monetary compensation
for their work. Interpret this descriptor widely to include all income prisoners
receive from Corrections, Corrections contractors, and private employers.
The most up to date Prisoner Incentive Allowance policy documents are attached in
Appendix Two. This information is available to staff on Corrections’ intranet. Some
information is excluded as it is outside of scope of your request.
This response may be published on Corrections’ website. Typically, responses are
published quarterly, or as otherwise determined. Your personal information including
name and contact details will be removed for publication.
I trust the information provided is of assistance. Should you have any concerns with
this response, I would encourage you to raise them 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,
Wellington 6143.
Ngā mihi
Rachel Leota
National Commissioner
