KEY POINTS:
The Corrections Department could have acted faster when recalling murderer and life parolee Graeme Burton to prison, says chief executive Barry Matthews.
But reports on the handling of the case will clear the department of any wrongdoing, he claims.
Burton killed Karl Kuchenbecker while on the run after breaking parole conditions. He has pleaded guilty to several charges, including murder and attempted murder.
Amid calls for accountability, Corrections launched two inquiries: one into what it told the Parole Board before Burton's release and one into how it managed his probation.
"From our investigations to date, we think we have told the Parole Board all the relevant information about Burton and, equally, we have complied with all our procedures in terms of the management of his probation," Mr Matthews said.
"But I'm sure there will be suggestions in the report that perhaps management could have done something differently or quicker.
"Is there anything we could do to change procedures, tighten them, to ensure we could have done things quicker or better? We probably could have done it a bit quicker ... and we'll have to look at ways to ensure it is done quicker."
Burton first broke parole conditions on December 5 when he phoned his probation officer but failed to appear in person. He was sent a formal warning. When Burton failed to show up the following week, "the probation officer went looking for him and established that he had moved".
A week later, on December 19, a warrant for his arrest was sought and three days later he was recalled to jail.
National's law and order spokesman, Simon Power, said that even if proper procedure was followed, the department and probation officer showed poor judgment by not recalling Burton as soon as he stepped out of line.
"The only word to describe the fact that Burton wasn't recalled on December 5 is negligence.
"The court of public opinion will never believe that Corrections were blameless, no matter what an internal report ... says."
Burton warranted the closest possible scrutiny because of his history.
Mr Matthews said Burton was on the Offender Warning Register "but it would be wrong to say we monitor them 24 hours a day".
"They are required to report more frequently, and there has to be action taken within seven days where there is failure to comply with conditions. That has been done in the Burton case.
"There's an argument it could have been done in two days, andthat's something we'll address."
Mr Matthews said recalling life parolees to prison involved several steps, "so there are ways perhaps where we can tighten that up".
He disagreed with speculation that Burton was already amassing an arsenal of weapons and was not living where he was supposed to when he was sent the formal warning.
