KEY POINTS:
Corrections Department staff received more than $2 million in bonuses in the 2005-06 financial year, despite having an "appalling" year, National MP Simon Power says.
The department's annual report showed $2,064,065 in bonuses was paid to 656 staff.
As well, $1.27m in bonuses had already been paid for the first four months of the 2006-07 financial year.
"The Corrections Department has had an appalling 14 months," Mr Power said today.
"Public confidence is at an all time low with this department and, at the same time as the chief executive (Barry Matthews) of the department calls the last 12 months his 'annus horribilus', we find bonuses in the first four months of this financial year totalling just under $1.3m."
The most high-profile issue for the department was the murder of 17-year-old Liam Ashley in the back of a police van; the teenager should have been separated from adult prisoners.
As well, the budgets for four new prisons had blown by more than $130m, the department is being sued for $8.6m by 33 current or former inmates alleging mistreatment and it admitted inmates who participated in its $40m rehabilitation programmes were more likely to re-offend than those who did not.
"What the bonuses are for is beyond my comprehension when the department itself has had such an appalling year," Mr Power said.
"Bonuses are contentious enough as it is but to be paid a bonus in an environment where your department is not meeting its core responsibilities satisfactorily is unacceptable."
Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon told the Dominion Post prison officers had not received any bonuses, and that the money had all gone to managers.
Corrections Department spokesman Mike Martelli said bonuses had dropped by $600,000 since 2001-02.
Mr Martelli told the newspaper the department employed 5000 staff. About 1000 were on individual performance agreements that would entitle them to performance pay.
- NZPA
