KEY POINTS:
When not working or watching his department taking a beating in the media or in Parliament, Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews can be found relaxing on his boat in Wellington Harbour.
"The therapeutic value of moving though the water with just the wind is magical.
"You're driving the
boat using the natural elements, no pollution ... your cellphone is hopefully switched off."
This window into the lighter side of Mr Matthews is rare. He is well known for his solemn and considered approach.
Even at 60, he is an imposing figure. A solid 100kg and 1.86m tall, he has a serious demeanour and comes across as a man with a purpose.
"I'm very strong on being honest and having integrity, and I require that from others in the organisation. We're in positions of trust, and if people are not acting with integrity, you're in real trouble."
For the past two years, Mr Matthews has had the unenviable task of heading a department that the media, politicians and the public love to hate.
He is responsible for operations that include 5600 staff and a prison muster of about 7700 inmates in an environment where trouble is expected to brew.
His vision is to help turn around the lives of those who have wound up on the wrong side of the tracks. But he also sees corrupt prison staff and the over-representation of Maori in prisons as major challenges.
"I came into this job to make a difference. I never had illusions it was going to be easy or that there would be lots of people clapping there along the way."
Born in Auckland, Mr Matthews lived most of his life there, building a reputation as a hardworking and reliable police officer. He spent 30 years in the force - he also studied part-time - in many roles before rising to Deputy Commissioner in 1995.
While many considered him an excellent prospect for Commissioner, he never thought it would happen because then-Commissioner Peter Doone was a few years his junior and unlikely to step aside.
Mr Matthews accepted an offer in 1999 to be Commissioner of the Western Australia Police. Six months later, Doone was involved in a traffic incident that eventually saw him resign.
But Mr Matthews has no regrets. Indeed, his reputation when he returned from Australia - where he was credited with taking on a culture of corrupt cops - might have led to his being head-hunted by Corrections. For the past 10 years, Mr Matthews seems to have been defined by how he handles crises. As Deputy Commissioner, he stepped into the Incis debacle - the computer system that blew its budget and never fully worked - and tried to salvage the wreckage. In Australia, he waded into a corrupt force and tried to cleanse it from the top down.
At present he is trying to weed out corrupt Corrections staff and restore public faith in the wake of the Liam Ashley and Graeme Burton tragedies.
His is a difficult role with few public rewards for a department that is constantly under scrutiny. Corrections is a constant political target, but as the Opposition continue their attack, the Government is behind him.
Does he feel under-appreciated?
"The Prime Minister keeps saying nice things about me ... and I get a lot of appreciation from staff who know what I'm trying to do. In that sense I don't feel unappreciated.
"It's more my family that feel the barbs that come my way. I think it goes with the territory and I try not to let it get out of proportion. If I do, I just lie down for a bit until I get over it.
"Or take a panadol. Or go out sailing."
Chief details
* Barry Eldon Matthews, Department of Corrections chief executive.
* Age: 60.
* Married to Barbara, three children, four grandchildren.
* Education: Masters in Business Administration, Bachelor of Laws Degree, Diploma in Criminology.
