Kia ora,

 

Thank you for getting in touch with Government Services - Official
Correspondence team.

 

PLEASE NOTE - due to Good Friday and Easter Monday public holidays the
[1][Department of Corrections request email] will not be monitored from 4.00pm on Thursday
2 April 2026 until 8.00am on Tuesday 7 April 2026.

 

If your request is urgent and relates to the wellbeing or safety of
someone in prison, please contact the prison directly. Contact details for
all prisons can be found here:
[2]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/about_us...

 

If you have immediate concerns for you or your family’s safety, please in
the first instance contact NZ Police.

If you are looking for the location of a person in prison or if you want
to know if someone is in prison, you can request this information using
the online form on our website:

[3]https://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_...

 

This is an automatic reply to confirm we have received your email and we
will contact you if any further information is required.  Please do not
reply to this message.

 

Ngâ mihi | Kind regards,

 

Government Services - Official Correspondence Team

[4][Department of Corrections request email]

Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa

a: National Office, Mayfair House, 44-52 The Terrace, Wellington, 6011

 

 

 

 

External Comms.
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The information in this message is the property of the New Zealand
Department of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to
which it is addressed and may contain privileged or in confidence
material. Any review, storage, copying, editing, summarising,
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References

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1. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
2. https://www.corrections.govt.nz/about_us...
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4. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]

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Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your email.

 

We are in receipt of your email which has been logged with a reference:
C212527.

 

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.

 

We will respond to you in due course.

 

Ngâ mihi | Kind regards,

 

Government Services – Official Correspondence Team

 

Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa

a: National Office, Mayfair House, 44-52 The Terrace, Wellington 6011

[1][IMG] [2][IMG] [3][IMG] [4][IMG]

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: H Barakat <[FOI #34287 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 29 March 2026 3:48 pm
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Official Information request - Deaf/Mute/Hard of
Hearing Prisoners

 

[You don't often get email from
[5][FOI #34287 email]. Learn why this is
important at [6]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Department of Corrections,

 

I am requesting the following information under the Official Information
Act 1982:

 

1. How many deaf/hard of hearing prisoners have there been in your prisons
in the last 5 years?

2. How many mute prisoners have there been in your prisons in the last 5
years?

3. How many deaf/hard of hearing and mute prisoners have there been in
your prisons in the last 5 years?

4. What is the protocol regarding communication with deaf and mute
prisoners? How are they alerted re lockdowns/fires/emergencies? How are
they notified about meal times?

5. How many prison guards are fluent in NZSL in prisons and which
prisoners do they work at?

6. Is there someone on site at all times able to communicate with hard of
hearing, deaf and/or mute prisoners? What prisoners is this available at?

7. What is the protocol for a prisoner who is hard of hearing, deaf or
mute suffering a medical episode? Can you please also specify how they
would signal to Corrections of such an event?

8. How would prisons communicate with/interact with prisoners that have
low literacy, and are mute and deaf?

9. How many deaf, mute and/or hard of hearing prisoners have died in
custody in New Zealand in the last 5 years?

 

Yours faithfully,

 

H Barakat

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[7][FOI #34287 email]

 

Is [8][Department of Corrections request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Department of Corrections? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

External Comms.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this message is the property of the New Zealand
Department of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to
which it is addressed and may contain privileged or in confidence
material. Any review, storage, copying, editing, summarising,
transmission, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means,
in whole or part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information
by persons or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If
you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the
material from all computers.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
2. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/CorrectionsNZ/
4. https://nz.linkedin.com/company/departme...
5. mailto:[FOI #34287 email]
6. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
7. mailto:[FOI #34287 email]
8. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]
9. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
10. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Kia ora,

Please see attached extension to the below correspondence.

Ngâ mihi | Kind regards,

Government Services – Official Correspondence
Ara Poutama Aotearoa, Department of Corrections
Wâhi mahi: National Office, Mayfair House, 44-52 The Terrace, Wellington 6011

-----Original Message-----
From: H Barakat <[FYI request #34287 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 29 March 2026 3:48 PM
To: Info@Corrections <[Department of Corrections request email]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Official Information request - Deaf/Mute/Hard of Hearing Prisoners

[You don't often get email from [FYI request #34287 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear Department of Corrections,

I am requesting the following information under the Official Information Act 1982:

1. How many deaf/hard of hearing prisoners have there been in your prisons in the last 5 years?
2. How many mute prisoners have there been in your prisons in the last 5 years?
3. How many deaf/hard of hearing and mute prisoners have there been in your prisons in the last 5 years?
4. What is the protocol regarding communication with deaf and mute prisoners? How are they alerted re lockdowns/fires/emergencies? How are they notified about meal times?
5. How many prison guards are fluent in NZSL in prisons and which prisoners do they work at?
6. Is there someone on site at all times able to communicate with hard of hearing, deaf and/or mute prisoners? What prisoners is this available at?
7. What is the protocol for a prisoner who is hard of hearing, deaf or mute suffering a medical episode? Can you please also specify how they would signal to Corrections of such an event?
8. How would prisons communicate with/interact with prisoners that have low literacy, and are mute and deaf?
9. How many deaf, mute and/or hard of hearing prisoners have died in custody in New Zealand in the last 5 years?

Yours faithfully,

H Barakat

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FYI request #34287 email]

Is [Department of Corrections request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Department of Corrections? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

External Comms.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The information in this message is the property of the New Zealand Department of Corrections. It is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain privileged or in confidence material. Any review, storage, copying, editing, summarising, transmission, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, by any means, in whole or part, or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than intended recipient are prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all computers.

hide quoted sections