State Services Commission report on parole accountability to be released

Corrections chief Barry Matthews refused to step down following the Auditor-General's damning report into parole. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Corrections Minister Judith Collins has received a report into accountability at her ministry.

Ms Collins got the report about 9am. She was reading it before announcing what time, likely today, it would be released.

The minister called for the report after the Auditor-General Kevin Brady highlighted problems with parole.

Mr Brady looked at 100 parole cases, including 52 high risk offenders and found that in most cases correct procedures were not followed.

Staff did not even carry out some of the special provisions brought in after parolee Graeme Burton murdered Karl Kuchenbecker in January 2007.

Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews' future and that of parole boss Katrina Casey will depend on the outcome of the report.

Ms Collins asked State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie to report who should be held accountable.

Since Mr Brady's report, Ms Collins has declined to express confidence in Mr Matthews, saying that would prejudge the SSC work.

Mr Matthews has said the SSC was his employer and had told him not to comment, even though that was "very attractive". He believed the report would be fair.

Pressed about Ms Collins' refusal to express confidence and whether their relationship was "toxic", Mr Matthews told a select committee he believed he had a good working relationship with her, as he had had with previous ministers.

He accused the media of generating a false perception of their relationship.

- NZPA