A Rimutaka prisoner is in a serious condition after being assaulted by another inmate, the prison director confirmed.

Heroic fantasy books, Jack Reacher novels and crime thrillers top the reading list inside our prisons.

Serco has gone to the High Court to challenge a draft report by the prison inspectorate on claims about 'fight clubs' and contraband in Mt Eden Prison.

It's not often you'll see a lama wandering around the grounds of a prison.

Prime Minister John Key says he did not go too far by accusing the Labour Party of supporting rapists, child molesters and murderers.

Riot police have stormed the embattled Christmas Island detention centre, allegedly using gas canisters and rubber bullets to restore order.

Prime Minister John Key said it was likely New Zealanders were involved in the riots, but he did not have official confirmation of that. "My office has had an update...we're obviously aware of what's taking place there. It's a difficult situation to get all the facts on," he said. "My understanding is that there could be a small number of New Zealanders involved but we haven't been advised of any injuries to New Zealanders."

A violent prisoner with an "appalling record" has avoided an indefinite jail term after cutting his gang ties and vowing to have his facial tattoos removed.

A cross-party letter to the Australian PM condemning his country's treatment of Kiwis detained on Christmas Island is to be presented in Sydney today.

Almost 100 offenders have been issued final warnings under the country's "three strikes" law, but no offender has reached a third qualifying offence.

Labour MP Kelvin Davis says the NZ detainees he met in Australia's Christmas Island detention centre told him they are so frustrated they are thinking of rioting.

Dunedin's Methodist Mission has begun a literacy and numeracy programme at the Otago Corrections Facility.

A dismissed addiction counsellor says her case has exposed unsafe understaffing at the prison unit where she worked.

Firefighters have been called to a fire at Spring Hill Prison in the Waikato.

Heather du Plessis-Allan writes a letter to Malcolm Turnbull on her views of Kiwis criminals in Australia being deported to detention centres.

Turnbull's and Key's burning issue on their agenda is the detention and deportation of non-Australian citizens who have been convicted of crime.

Funding will be needed to help criminals settle in New Zealand after they are deported from Australia, Prime Minister John Key says.

Rally organised after an inmate - who has been on hormone treatment to become a woman - was allegedly raped at the privately run prison.

A change to the rules which give media access to prison inmates is being considered.

The alleged rape of a transgender inmate has Corrections signaling a possible change to the way the prison system deals with those identifying as a different gender.

The rocker's appeal for a lighter sentence has been dismissed by the High Court.

A prisoner has died after a day on life support following a self-harm incident in Mt Eden prison, the Herald has learned.

Council takes leap of faith to give another chance to Black Power member who was jailed for assault and grievous bodily harm.

The transgender community says the inmate is not getting enough support and needs better protection.

Labour says private prison company Serco must be booted out after an alleged rape in a jail.

A police investigation has begun into claims that a prisoner was raped while locked in overnight at a privately run men's prison in South Auckland.

Despite money not growing on trees, gardening seems to be the most popular way for NZ's white collar criminals to while away the hours behind bars.

The sister of the man murdered by Phillip Smith says nobody has been properly held to account for his escape, and politicians were "all ducking their heads".

A chain of shortcomings allowed Phillip John Smith to escape to Brazil - and an overhaul of systems and information sharing between governments is needed.