Dear Department of Corrections,

This is a request for information, made under the provisions of ss4 and 5 of the Official Information Act 1982 (“the Act”). I therefore would like the following information;

1. Any and all information you have on the wages of paid prisoners while on "Release to Work", as found on this website: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...

2. In particular, I would like to know:
a. How much on average they are paid. This could be shown as an average in the different type of work they carry out, or just the standard rate you require from their employees;
b. The most popular type of work that is carried out for pay by prisoners;
c. The average amount that a prisoner keeps after paying all costs listed on the website;
d. How many prisoners (both number and as a percentage of the total prison population) were out on release to work each each for the past 5 years.

3. Please also provide any documents on policy with regards to supervision of prisoners while out on release for work. What is the ratio of prisoners to guards, how many hours a week they can work, what types of work they cannot do, or are preferred to undertake.

4. Finally, how many escapes have there been (and if subsequently recaptured) while on release to work in the past 5 years.

5. Please also include any other information that is relevant to this request.

Please CONFIRM receipt of this email to prevent unnecessary follow-up emails and extensions requested.
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As required by s12(1) of the Act, I am a New Zealand citizen. I will provide confirmation of this, if required. However, since all of our correspondence will be published on the FYI.org.nz site, I will only do so over the phone or email, with which you provide. This would only be for the purpose of citizenship confirmation, and nothing further related to this request.

As required by s12(3) of the Act, I shall provide reason(s) why this request should be treated as URGENT. The questions above raise important issues of accountability of the Government, its departments and agents. Any and all information provided as a result of this request could and may be published either by the writer online to a wide audience or passed onto media outlets for publication so that the public can be kept informed on important issues of transparency.

As required by s13(c) of the Act, if this request “has not been made … to the appropriate department or Minister of the Crown or organisation or local authority”, it is your duty to give reasonable assistance to me to direct my request to the appropriate department or Minister of the Crown or organisation or local authority.

Further to the above statutory requirement, under s14 of the Act, if the information I seek is either not held or you believe it is more closely connected with another department or Minister of the Crown or organisation, or of a local authority you shall promptly, and in any case not later than 10 working days after the day on which the request is received, transfer the request to the other department or Minister of the Crown or organisation, or to that local authority, AND inform me accordingly.

As required under s15A of the Act, if you believe that a time extension is warranted for this request, you must under ss15A(2),(3) and (4) give notice to me of this extension within 20 working days after the day on which my request was received. In that notice, you should state; the period of the extension, give reasons for the extension and remind me of my right to complain to the Ombudsman under s28(3). Finally, the extension must be for a reasonable time, having regards to the circumstances.

As required by s18B of the Act, you must consider consulting me before refusing my request under the provisions of ss18(e) and (f) which relate to a document not being able to be found or existing or where substantial collation and research would be required for my current request.

As required by s19(a)(i), you must provide reasons if you refuse any parts of this request.

I will, if required, complain to the Ombudsman, as is my right under s28(3) of the Act, if any of the above statutory requirements on you are not complied with. Further to this, if your reply is not “as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received” as required under s15(1) of the Act, I will also complain to the Ombudsman.

This request is made through the site FYI.org.nz. All correspondence will be automatically forwarded to me through the site and published online immediately. I require, where appropriate, all electronic copies of all documents in your response. For more information on how the site works, please visit www.fyi.org.nz/help/about.
Yours faithfully,

Liam Stoneley

Dear Department of Corrections,

I have not had confirmation of this request being received. From reviewing the reponses that users have recieved from you on this site in the past, you often ask for an extention or reply late. This follow-up email is to ensure you have both received my requuest and you ensure that it will be dealt with under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982.

Please confirm that you have received this request by way of reply.

Yours faithfully,

Liam Stoneley

Dear Info@Corrections,

The FYI website was down for some time and your reply may have been lost in the system. Please send again within the next 5 working days.

If I do not get a response from you within the above stated time-frame, I will assume you have not prepared a response, and complain to the Ombudsman.

Yours sincerely,

Liam Stoneley