Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/4170-advice-on-information-on-use-of-force-in-strip-searches on April 20, 2024 08:38

Advice on information on use of force in strip searches

Mark Hanna made this Official Information request to Department of Corrections

The request was successful.

From: Mark Hanna

Dear Department of Corrections,

An earlier request asked for, among other things, records regarding the use of force in strip searches: https://fyi.org.nz/request/3926-strip-se...

"How many strip searches were conducted with the use of "resonable force" during each month from June 2011 until the most recent month for which this information is available?

For each of those months, how many of those strip searches resulted in contraband being found?"

The response to this part of the request was as follows:

"The information that you have requested does not currently exist in a form that can be readily supplied to you, and would instead require initiation of a project to extract, analyse and present the data in the form requested. Therefore, this part of your request is declined under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information requested is not held by the Department."

I would still like to see information regarding the use of force in conducting strip searches, however I am unaware of what form this is recorded in by the Department of Corrections. I am also aware that Section 88 of the Corrections Act 2003 sets some requirements for recording the use of force.

Please provide advice on how Corrections records use of force, particularly in the context of strip searches, and also on how Section 88 of the Corrections Act applies to this.

I intend to use this advice to make a more appropriate request for Official Information regarding the use of force in strip searches, which the Department of Corrections will be able to respond to instead of refusing under section 18(g) as in response to my previous request.

Sincerely,
Mark Hanna

Link to this

From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections

Thank you for contacting the Department of Corrections.  This is an
automatic reply to let you know that we have received your email. 

 

Our website, [1]www.corrections.govt.nz provides up to date news and
information about the work of the Department of Corrections.

 

If you are requesting information about an offender or prisoner, please
note that we are required to comply with the Privacy Act 1993, the
Official Information Act 1982 and the Victims Rights Act 2002.

 

This means that unless you are the victim of a serious crime, or there are
other safety reasons, we must ask the prisoner or offender if they consent
to their information being released to you.  If you do not want the
offender to know that you are asking about them, please send us another
email and let us know.

 

If you are a victim of serious crime, you will find information about the
Victim Notification Register on our website:
[2]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/community...

 

If you are a friend or family member of an offender, you will find useful
information on our website:

[3]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...

 

If you are looking for information about managing offenders in the
community, visit:
[4]http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...

 

Once again, thank you for contacting us.  We will respond to your query as
soon as we are able.  Please note that due to the high volume of emails we
receive, it may take us some time to respond to you, however every effort
will be made to comply with the timeframes outlined in the Privacy Act
1993 and the Official information Act 1982.

 

Kind regards,

[5][Department of Corrections request email]

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 confidential or privileged 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. file:///tmp/www.corrections.govt.nz
2. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/community...
3. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_w...
4. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/...
5. mailto:[Department of Corrections request email]

Link to this

From: Info@Corrections
Department of Corrections

Attachment Signed response C78609.pdf
40K Download View as HTML

Good Afternoon Mr Hanna

 

Please find attached correspondence from the Department of Corrections.

 

Regards

 

Ministerial Services Team

National Office

Department of Corrections

Mayfair House

44-52 The Terrace

Private Bag 1206

Wellington 6140

[1]www.corrections.govt.nz

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 confidential or privileged 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/

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Department of Corrections only: