22 December 2022
C161714
Mohammed Khan
[FYI request #20496 email]
Tēnā koe Mohammed
Thank you for your email of 25 November 2022 to the Department of Corrections – Ara
Poutama Aotearoa, requesting further information about people being released into the
Rotorua district. Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(OIA).
You requested:
I'm interested in the statement that
"As at 21 July 2022, there were 45 people in emergency
accommodation in Rotorua who were in the management of Corrections. These peopl
e had been placed in emergency accommodation through our nationwide agreement
with MSD. "
I had been led to think by other statements from Corrections- such as this one:
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffyi.org.nz%2Fr
equest%2F20495%2Fresponse%2F79138%2Fattach%2Fhtml%2F13%2FLetter.pdf.htm
l&data=05%7C01%7Cinfo%40corrections.govt.nz%7C2e133b51c2a843134c5208
dace54e28e%7Cfc4d60d1bb674d7b898109a1c54e91ea%7C0%7C0%7C63804916182
0163865%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIi
LCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=IZcDTx7%2F
BgAuE54kjgxmdrGuBZ79STbb828RmREfkC4%3D&reserved=0
that Corrections only retained data on whether prisoners were initially funneled to
emergency accommodation. Interestingly, that letter indicates that throughout the
entire Bay of Plenty, not just Rotorua, only 15 people were initially released into
emergency accommodation.
Your own letter indicates that
"The vast majority of people return home to family or make their own arrangements
about where to live."
Does this suggest that Corrections maintains full data on this, and that you can in
fact provide full information on situations like those where parolees are released
elsewhere, but then funneled to motels in Rotorua?
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
2
Individuals released from prison are only required to advise Corrections of their release
address if they are subject to a post release order with residential restrictions. A post
release order means the person is subject to either release conditions, parole or an
extended supervision order.
Corrections does not place people into emergency accommodation, where this is an urgent
need, we would place them with a support/transitional accommodation provider who we
contract. The data we provided on 7 November 2022, regarding definitive placements into
emergency accommodation is limited to those where there is a contract between
Corrections and the emergency accommodation provider. These contracts are primarily
used for people who are not eligible for Ministry of Social Development’s (MSD) Emergency
Housing Special Needs Grant (also referred to as emergency accommodation). The
emergency accommodation contracts Corrections manages are different from the
Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant provided by MSD.
People's living circumstances change and where required Corrections will work with them to
identify and source alternative accommodation. If all accommodation options are
exhausted, people who are eligible may access MSD’s Emergency Housing Special Needs
Grant. Corrections will work closely with MSD, who are responsible for sourcing and funding
the emergency accommodation.
Addresses are entered manually by staff directly into individual files. To be certain that we
were answering this request accurately we would need to manually review each person’s
file. Therefore, your query for surrounding situations whereby people on parole are
released elsewhere - but then housed in motels in Rotorua - would require substantial
collation to answer.
A further manual review into each individual profile would then be required to determine
whether they were on the relevant order at that address during the relevant time and to
identify the circumstances that led to their loss of accommodation.
Further, addresses which are used to house people using Emergency Special Needs Grants
are records held by MSD, not Corrections.
Accordingly, your request is refused in accordance with section 18(g) of the OIA as the
information requested is not held by Corrections and also 18(f) of the OIA, as it would
require substantial collation or research to provide the information we do hold.
In accordance with section 18A and 18B of the OIA we have considered whether fixing a
charge, extending the time limit or asking you to refine or amend your request would
enable us to provide a response. However, given the scale of the request, we do not
consider that this would be an appropriate use of our publicly funded resources.
Please note that 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.
3
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, Wellington 6143.
Ngā mihi
Matt Huddleston
Manager Ministerial Services (acting)
People and Capability
