29 April 2026
C212475
P Peach
[FYI request #34266 email]
Tēnā koe P Peach
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 27 March 2026 to the
Department of Corrections – Ara Poutama Aotearoa, requesting the following information:
SECTION A: SUBCONTRACTING ARRANGEMENTS
1. Whether Corrections' interpreting and translation providers are permitted to
subcontract assignments to third parties, including overseas-based agencies or
individual contractors located outside New Zealand.
2. Any conditions or restrictions in Corrections' contracts with interpreting and
translation providers regarding the use of subcontractors, including any requirements
that subcontractors be based in New Zealand or hold an appropriate New Zealand
work visa.
3. Whether Corrections requires providers to disclose the identity, location, or
credentials of individual interpreters or translators — including subcontractors —
who carry out assignments on Corrections' behalf.
4. Whether Corrections has any knowledge of, or has sought information about,
assignments being routed to interpreters or translators located outside New Zealand.
5. Any instances where Corrections became aware that an assignment was
conducted by a person located outside New Zealand or by an uncredentialled
subcontractor, and any action taken as a result.
SECTION B: NAATI CREDENTIAL COMPLIANCE
6. What mechanism, if any, Corrections uses to verify that individual interpreters and
translators carrying out assignments on its behalf — including those engaged
through subcontracting arrangements — hold a valid NAATI credential or Working
Towards NAATI (WTN) status.
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
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7. Whether Corrections requires its interpreting and translation providers to maintain
and supply a current register of credentialled practitioners working under Corrections
contracts, and if so whether Corrections has received and reviewed such registers.
8. Any audits, spot checks, or compliance reviews conducted by Corrections on its
interpreting and translation providers since 1 July 2024 to verify NAATI credential
compliance, including the methodology and findings of any such reviews.
9. Any instances since 1 July 2024 where a provider was found to have used an
interpreter or translator who did not hold the required NAATI credential or Working
Towards NAATI (WTN) status, and any consequences or remedial action taken.
10. Any complaints received by Corrections since 1 July 2024 from staff, prisoners, or
members of the public regarding the qualifications or conduct of an interpreter or
translator engaged through Corrections' services.
SECTION C: INTERPRETER AND TRANSLATOR PAY VISIBILITY
11. Whether Corrections has any information about the rates or fees paid by its
providers to individual interpreters or translators for assignments conducted on
Corrections' behalf.
12. Whether Corrections has ever sought, as part of contract negotiations, tendering
processes, or performance reviews, any information about the pay or working
conditions of interpreters or translators engaged through its provider contracts.
13. Any internal policies, briefings, risk assessments, or correspondence within
Corrections regarding the fair remuneration or employment conditions of interpreters
and translators working under its contracts, including any concerns raised about the
margin between rates paid to providers and rates passed on to practitioners.
14. Whether Corrections' tendering or procurement criteria for interpreting and
translation services include any consideration of whether providers pay practitioners
at or above a minimum rate, living wage, or industry standard.
Corrections needs to extend the timeframe of our response to your request by 20 working
days, pursuant to section 15A(1)(b) of the OIA, as consultations necessary to make a
decision on the request are such that a proper response to the request cannot reasonably
be made within the original time limit. Therefore, you can expect to receive a response to
your request by 27 May 2026. If you no longer require this information, please let us know
as soon as possible.
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Please be advised that you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman about
our decision to extend the response to your request. Information about how to do this is
available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by contacting them on 0800 802 602 or by
post to the Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Ngā mihi
Jeremy Lythgoe
Manager Official Correspondence
People and Capability
