Corrections & 'Buddi' contractor for electronic monitoring - Faulty Equipment - Human rights - Access to Justice
M B made this Official Information request to Department of Corrections
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for M B to read recent responses and update the status.
From: M B
Dear Department of Corrections,
CONTEXT OF REQUEST:
The new electronic monitoring system provided by private contractor - Buddi - was rolled out between February and August 2022 (https://fyi.org.nz/request/18901/respons...).
The Buddi supplied electronic monitoring device attached to a defendant or parole's leg is called a 'smart tag' and the portable charger that charges that smart tag is called an 'on body charger' (OBC). Part of the agreement that people subject to electronic monitoring must accept is that the smart tag will be charged for 2 hours every day via the OBC (https://fyi.org.nz/request/18901/respons...). The smart tag is the same for everyone, there is no longer different equipment for home detention as opposed to community detention (https://www.corrections.govt.nz/our_work...).
Prior to the 2022 phase out, '3M' was the provider of electronic monitoring equipment. There were two types of bracelets based on the conditions imposed: one was a combination of GPS and RF; the other bracelet was RF only.
I have been made aware that there has been a significant increase in the number of faults with the new Buddi equipment. Although, given that there have been previous reports of faulty equipment dating as far back as 2010 (https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/monit...), it is unclear whether these anecdotal reports are consistent with the number of historic faults.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION:
Old System:
- Please provide the OIA response to DEBBIE PORTEOUS of the Otago Times from 2010 that was referenced in this article https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/monit....
In the 3 months of 2021, September, October, and November:
- On average, how many people were subject to EM at any one time?
- how many faults were recorded for EM equipment?
- please provide the quantities of each type of equipment (OBC, trackers, base station...) that was retuned for repair or to be sent back to the supplier. Please itemise each category of equipment; dates are not required, just quantities.
- how many times was EM equipment failed to be charge resulting in an alert in the monitoring system? RF bracelets did not require charging, so this request is inherently limited to those who were subject to EM equipment that required charging (EM Bail, Home detention, Parole).
- how many times was a prosecution launched for a breach of bail / parole / other form of breach such as a parole recall, result from those failures to charge? Please forward this portion of the request to the MOJ or Police should that be appropriate. In which case, it is likely that there may need to be collaboration.
New Buddi system:
In the 3 months of 2022, September, October, and November:
- On average, how many people were subject to EM at any one time?
- how many faults were recorded for EM equipment?
- please provide the quantity of each type of equipment (OBC, trackers, base station...) that was retuned for repair or to be sent back to the supplier. Please itemise each category of equipment; dates are not required, just quantitiess.
- how many times was EM equipment failed to be charge resulting in an alert in the monitoring system? RF bracelets did not require charging, so this request is inherently limited to those who were subject to EM equipment that required charging (EM Bail, Home detention, Parole).
- how many times was a prosecution launched for a breach of bail / parole / other form of breach such as a parole recall, result from a failure to charge trackers? Please forward this portion of the request to the MOJ or Police should that be appropriate. In which case, it is likely that there may need to be collaboration.
In regard to whether this request constitutes substantial collation or research, I note that a similar request was granted in 2010 following similar queries (https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/monit...). The material requested is also of significant public interest given the inherent human rights and access to justice implications of equipment that is used to mitigate risks of bail, serve sentences in lieu of custodial sentences, and monitor paroles. When this equipment fails, those rights have the potential to be unjustifiable limited.
Yours faithfully,
Mason.
From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Kia ora,
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]
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From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Kia ora,
Thank you for your email.
We are in receipt of your email.
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.
We will respond to you in due course.
Ngā mihi | Kind regards,
Ministerial Services
Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa
a: National Office, Mayfair House, 44-52 The Terrace, Wellington 6011
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From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Kia ora Mason,
Please see the attached notification of partial transfer from Corrections.
Ngā mihi o te wā,
Ministerial Services
Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa
a: Mayfair House, 44 - 52 The Terrace, Wellington 6011 | Private Bag
1206, Wellington 6140 |
[1][IMG] [2][IMG] [3][IMG] [4][IMG] [5][IMG]
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From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections
Kia ora Mason,
Please see the attached correspondence from Corrections.
Ngā mihi o te wā,
Ministerial Services
Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa
a: Mayfair House, 44 - 52 The Terrace, Wellington 6011 | Private Bag
1206, Wellington 6140 |
[1][IMG] [2][IMG] [3][IMG] [4][IMG] [5][IMG]
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