Prison rehab failings 'cast long shadow'

The lack of employment and vocational programmes in prisons casts a "long shadow" over the work of Corrections, says a highly critical Ombudsmen's report into the department.

This is despite the fact that ensuring inmates have meaningful work or training is key to reducing re-offending, one of the department's primary goals.

The report, which follows a rare self-initiated inquiry by the independent watchdog, also raises alarm bells about the dire lack of access to drug and alcohol treatment programmes.

It also highlights poor recreational and sports facilities, plus issues concerning sentence management plans, access to clothing, dentists and books, poor information-gathering and overall inconsistency in terms of inmate management and policy.

Perhaps most damningly, it also suggests that the department's representation of its progress is overly optimistic at best.

The department set itself high and appropriate ideals, but "while a casual reading of the department's public documents might suggest it is substantially meeting those ideals and intents for prisoners, our conclusion is that this is not the case".

The report identifies a "gulf" between front-line staff and head office when it comes to understanding the problems in prisons.

Front-line staff believed there were many more problems than acknowledged at management level and the report said the Ombudsmen accepted staff, not management's, view.

Releasing the report yesterday Chief Ombudsman John Belgrave said he wasn't going so far as to say Corrections was "deliberately misleading" the public or his office.

"All we say is we accept the views of the people on the floor."

The Ombudsmen initiated the investigation last year following public concern over the former Paremoremo behaviour management regime and the critical QC inquiry into Christchurch Prison's so-called "goon squad".

The report found "no general ill-treatment of prisoners or inappropriate conduct of staff" of the type reflected under those regimes.

The criticisms were limited and it would be unfair to conclude the department was "failing in a wide sense" to do its job, it continued.

Nevertheless numerous recommendations were made on a number of fronts, including the call for a comprehensive review of employment matters.

The report found that for a significant majority of inmates there is no meaningful work available in prison industries.

The few tasks such as cleaning took little time and workshops and industries where prisoners could learn skills and engage in productive tasks were scarce. "Enforced idleness does not in our view provide any contribution to a reduction of reoffending," the report said.

The department's figures showed inmates were now working 77.5 per cent of the hours they did in 2000, with 35 per cent working 5-6 hours a day.

But the widespread view was that "meaningful occupation has severely diminished in recent years".

The Ombudsmen could not explain why the department's view varied from on-the-ground accounts from inmates and staff - but was forced to conclude the "reality of the situation is far removed from the optimistic picture that seems to be presented by the annual reports".

Policies and practices which prevented many inmates from employment opportunities and programmes or delayed start dates - in some cases for years - also drew criticism and recommendations for change.

Drug abuse was widespread in prisons, with an average 17 per cent of random drug tests positive.

Only 174 inmates, out of a population of about 6500, would be placed on residential programmes this year, a figure so low it was "extraordinary".

The policy that inmates had to be drug-free before being allowed to join a programme seemed inappropriate, said Mr Belgrave.

Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews and its Minister Damien O'Connor both welcomed the finding that there was "no culture of abuse".

The pair agreed there was a need for more constructive activities in prisons - although Mr Matthews was not prepared to be interviewed, issuing a press statement only. He said the department would thoroughly review the recommendations.

Mr O'Connor said inmate employment was something he was keen to address in the next three years.

"Prisoners should be as productive as possible during their sentence."

He was also supportive of wider access to drug and alcohol programmes.

The findings

* National office and front-line staff have very different stories about what the prison problems are, which is a "major concern".

* Very little work or other opportunities for inmates, who suffer "enforced idleness".

* Extraordinary lack of access to drug-and-alcohol rehabilitation.

* No culture of inmate abuse.