KEY POINTS:
A prison sentence may cost you your liberty, but your golf needn't suffer.
The Corrections Department has confirmed "grass areas", which double as putting greens, are available at two North Island prisons for inmates keen on maintaining their handicap.
But if golf isn't your game, that's okay - Corrections says a range of other leisure activities are available to inmates, including petanque, darts and touch rugby.
National's law and order spokesman Simon Power, who raised the issue with Corrections in a written question to the House, told the Herald on Sunday he was finally convinced the grass was really greener in prison.
Rather than places of rehabilitation, prisons had become country clubs where inmates were exposed to a full range of leisure activities.
Corrections spokeswoman Karen Urwin confirmed grass areas were available at Auckland and Wanganui prisons for minimum-security inmates to practise their putting.
She confirmed that minimum-security prisoners at Christchurch Men's and Rolleston prisons could play petanque during their leisure time, and inmates at a number of self-care and low-risk units could participate in a game of darts as long as they were supervised.
Other inmates had activities such as basketball, touch rugby and weaving, Urwin said.
"The department is committed to providing a prison system where prisoners are accommodated securely, safely and humanely."
She said when prisoners were out of their cells and not taking part in rehabilitative or reintegrative programmes or employment, they were encouraged to engage in constructive activities to address idleness and provide alternatives to criminal lifestyles.
