Kia ora,

I’m making this Official Information Act request as part of ADHDInquiryNZ, a grassroots, unfunded, and non-partisan volunteer initiative supporting a public petition calling for a Parliamentary inquiry into systemic harm to people with ADHD in Aotearoa. This request focuses on information held by your agency to help identify how ADHD is currently recognised across justice and rehabilitation systems. The information gathered from this and related requests will contribute to the evidence provided to the Petitions Committee when the petition period closes. I appreciate the time involved in OIA responses.

Please treat this as a request for official information under the OIA. I understand the agency’s obligation to assist under s 13 and that a decision should be made within 20 working days of receipt (and that any transfer must occur within 10 working days). If any part of this request requires clarification, please let me know no later than 5 working days from receipt. If an extension under s 15A is needed, please state the reason and the duration. This request is confined to information held by Corrections; please do not transfer for commentary.

This request relates to Corrections’ management of people in prison, people serving community-based sentences, and rehabilitation, reintegration, and programme delivery services. I am not seeking any identifiable information about individuals in Corrections’ care.

Timeframe: This request covers the period 1 January 2015 to the date this request is received.

Format: Where datasets, tables, or modelling outputs are provided, please supply them in machine-readable format (CSV or original spreadsheet file), along with any data dictionaries or field definitions.

Scope clarification (to reduce unnecessary work)
I am not seeking internal email chains, drafts, or personal information about individuals unless they are the only holders of the substantive information described.
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under s 18(f) due to substantial collation or research, please identify that part early so I can refine it.

Context (for clarity only)
I am aware that Corrections has publicly referenced neuro-disability and neurodiversity, including ADHD, through staff development articles (e.g., the University of Otago SOCI404 course cohort) and employee networks. This request is focused on the system-level recognition, recording, and support of ADHD within Corrections’ operations, rather than individual staff-led initiatives.

Please provide the following information:

1. Policy, practice, screening, and training
Any policies, practice documents, screening tools, training materials, or operational guidance since 2015 that mention ADHD in the context of:
-reception, assessment, or case management
-neurodisability or neurodiversity screening
-rehabilitation or education programmes
-behaviour management
-high-risk or high-needs pathways
-reintegration planning
-community-based sentences or probation work.

(If ADHD is only referenced within broader neurodisability or mental health material, please provide that section.)

2. Data and analysis
Any data, studies, reports, or analysis held by Corrections identifying ADHD among:
-people in prison,
-people serving community-based sentences, or
-programme participants.

Where available, please include:
-prevalence or descriptive statistics
-screening outcomes
-any analysis of outcomes (e.g., programme engagement, non-completion, reintegration, or re-offending) for people with ADHD.

If any Māori data governance or Māori equity considerations were applied when deciding whether to collect, categorise, or monitor ADHD-related information, please provide the relevant documents.

(Anonymised or aggregated information is sufficient.)

3. Programmes, pilots, and inter-agency initiatives
Any programmes, pilots, or coordinated work with other agencies (e.g., Health NZ, Ministry of Health, Oranga Tamariki, education providers, courts) since 2015 relating to:
-identifying ADHD among people in Corrections’ care
-supporting people with ADHD to engage with programmes
-adaptations or modifications to rehabilitation or education programmes
-improving access to ADHD assessment or treatment for people in prison or on community sentences.

4. Barriers, risks, or limitations
Any advice, internal reports, reviews, or correspondence acknowledging barriers or limitations in recognising or supporting ADHD within:
-prison settings
-community-based sentences
-programme delivery
-contracted providers
-psychological or clinical services.

This includes any documentation identifying gaps in data collection, assessment processes, or workforce capability.

5. Public-facing or participant-facing information
Any public-facing, participant-facing, or employer-facing materials since 2015 that reference ADHD, including:
-information provided to people in prison or on probation
-information for whānau
-guidance for employers involved in reintegration
-public campaigns or website content.

If none exist, please confirm this.

6. Classification and categorisation
If Corrections does not explicitly track ADHD as a separate category, please:
-confirm this
-identify under which broader categories ADHD-related needs would fall (e.g., mental health, neurodisability, behavioural, learning difficulty)
-provide any data dictionary, coding standards, or classification guidance showing how such needs are recorded in Corrections’ systems.

If information is not held
If your agency does not hold some or all of the information requested, that absence itself helps clarify how ADHD is currently recognised and responded to within the justice system. Please confirm if the information is not held and provide any documents that record a decision not to collect or monitor ADHD-related information.

Ngā mihi,
Elspeth Baker-Vevers