09 October 2025
C203515
Tobias Corbett
[FYI request #32303 email]
Tēnā koe Tobias
Thank you for your request of 12 September 2025
to the Department of Corrections – Ara
Poutama Aotearoa, requesting information about diagnostic services for neurodivergent
people in prison. Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(OIA).
Corrections has a duty of care to all people in prison, which we take seriously. Our Health
Services staff work hard to provide a level of healthcare that is necessary, and reasonably
equivalent to the standard of care available to the public.
Every prison has a Health Centre primarily focused on supporting physical health needs as
well as specialist mental health teams. Across our health and mental health services we take
a multidisciplinary approach with professionals from various disciplines which includes
nurses, medical officers, social workers, dentists, physiotherapists, primary mental health
and addictions practitioners, and counsellors.
The services provided by our prison health services include acute injury and illness
management, management of long-term chronic conditions, screening, vaccinations, health
promotion, dental health, management and administration of medications, palliative care,
and support for people with mental health and/or addictions needs or disabilities.
Our health and mental health services are largely delivered within the prisons, however,
when tertiary level care is required, people in prison will be referred to services provided by
Te Whatu Ora. People may also be referred to specialist health teams and other services
provided by community-based providers (such as optometrists, hearing, and ear health)
when required. People in prison are referred to these health services based on the same
criteria as any person in the community.
You requested:
- Does the Department have a record of neurodivergent (Autism, ADHD, ADD, etc)
prisoners?
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
- If so, does the Department provide any particular services for those prisoners?
- If a prisoner suspects they may be neurodivergent, what is the process they must go
through to receive a formal diagnosis?
All medical information relating to a person in prison, including whether that person has
been diagnosed with ADHD or autism, is recorded on that person’s individual health file.
When a person first enters prison, or transfers from another prison, they undergo a
Reception Health Screen, which is followed by an Initial Health Assessment at a time
determined from the triage score/priority identified in the Reception Health Screen. If the
person returns to prison within 12 months, an Update Health Assessment will be conducted
in lieu of the Initial Health Assessment.
These assessments identify any immediate health, disability, mental health or addiction-
related issues to support care planning and access to health services to support their
wellbeing. They are also used to determine if a more comprehensive assessment may be
required. When the person remains in prison for an extended period of time, a Health
Assessment will be completed once every two years, or annually for those over 65 years.
While Corrections does not specifically screen for neurodivergent conditions, this
information may be captured through the assessment process if the person chooses to
disclose it. It is also standard practice for a person’s medical notes from their community
medical provider to be provided to Corrections when the person enters prison.
In general, management of a person with a disability (including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder (FASD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or other neurodivergent conditions) is specific
to the identified needs of the person, and a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach may be
used. This can include health staff, prison staff, psychologists, occupational therapists, social
workers, cultural advisors/practitioners, mental health and addictions staff, case managers,
physiotherapists, and other allied health staff. Corrections offers dyslexia screenings
through our education tutors.
The MDT can determine the level of care required and can refer to other services, including
specialist services (including for diagnoses of conditions) outside of prison if available.
Prescription medication may also be provided when appropriate. Diagnoses of conditions
may also occur in prison by a Corrections Medical Officer, where appropriate, in the same
manner as it would for someone accessing their GP.
In addition, where a person has complex or interconnected needs, health staff are able to
refer to the Social Worker Disability and Older Persons for support. This support can include
access to training, assistance with accessing wider support or specialist support services,
and input into care and management plans.
As is the case for those seeking diagnosis or support for neurodiversity-related needs in the
community, access to publicly funded specialist services is limited. Corrections will from
time to time make referrals to specialist services, particularly in cases where a person
requires a high level of day-to-day support whilst they are in prison, or where a person who
is seeking release from prison is suspected to require a high level of support upon their
release. In many cases, referrals to publicly funded supports are not accepted or there are
significant wait times. In some of these cases an assessment will be completed by a
Corrections psychologist, or Corrections will fund a private assessment.
- What percentage of prisoners who seek a diagnosis are actually seen by a qualified
psychiatrist?
We do not hold this information in a centralised manner, and identifying the percentage of
people in prison who seek a diagnosis would involve manually investigating hundreds of
individual records, some of which would require verification from frontline clinical staff over
a period of many weeks to ensure they are accurate. Your request for this information is
therefore refused under section 18(f) of the OIA, as the requested information cannot be
provided without substantial collation or research. In accordance with the OIA, we have
considered whether to affix a charge. However, given the scale of the request we do not
consider that this would be an appropriate use of our publicly funded resources.
As per section 18B of the OIA, we have considered whether consulting with you would
enable the request to be made in a form that would remove the reason for the
refusal. However, we do not consider that the request can be refined in this instance.
- What steps are taken within prisons to educate prisoners on the symptoms and
signifiers of neurodivergence, and to educate them on what they can do if they
suspect they are neurodivergent?
Where appropriate, frontline staff work with people in prison to help them understand their
individual symptoms and the ways in which they are neurodivergent. As neurodivergence is
specific to each person, education typically occurs directly between staff and
neurodivergent individuals.
Corrections provides an Understanding Neurodiversity training module available to all staff,
which provides an overview of neurodiversity and the ways in which it can manifest, and
supporting our staff who work with neurodiverse people. At the time of this response, more
than 1,000 staff have completed this training.
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.
I hope this information is helpful. I encourage you to raise any concerns about this response
with Corrections. Alternatively, you are advised of your right to raise any concerns with the
Office of the Ombudsman. Contact details are: Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152,
Wellington 6143.
Ngā mihi
Dr Juanita Ryan
Deputy Chief Executive
Pae Ora
