Phillip John Smith's criminal history is long and it is violent. He has terrified and tormented, abused and killed. What made him a such a monster?

Father of escaped murderer and child abuser Phillip John Smith lashes out at authorities for releasing dangerous menace.

Police confident Phillip Smith will be caught if he catches attention of Chilean authorities but South America is “a big place” and there are no guarantees.

The Government is pressing on with changes to allow ex-prisoners to be monitored for the rest of their lives despite advice from officials that the new laws will breach fundamental human....

Prisoners at two New Zealand jails are getting "in-house" tattoo removal sessions - as long as they pay out of their own pockets.

A Facebook page where prison inmates are able to advertise for female penpals has been blasted by victim advocates who say it's creepy and and "like Tinder" for inmates.

An inmate with more than 100 convictions was taken to North Shore Hospital after allegedly hiding drugs and a mobile phone in his rectum.

Miriama Kamo learned before she was 10 years old that prisoners were "just people who have made mistakes".

Labour and the Greens are backing National's plan to get all prisoners working or studying fulltime within three years.

A Hamilton woman's attempt to help out a prisoner in need of new underpants failed after authorities rejected the garments because of their colour scheme.

Prisoners at Auckland's new $300 million private men's jail could be building or fixing metal skip bins.

Charles Bronson, Britain's most violent prisoner, has reportedly been transferred back to the UK's toughest jail after he covered himself in butter and fought 12 wardens.

A surprise midweek visit from New Zealand Rugby League football manager Tony Iro has given the Paremoremo Prison league team a boost.

A 29-year-old inmate is in a stable condition after a stabbing at Spring Hill Prison.

An Aucklander has concealed 232 convictions from potential employers under legislation that lets Kiwis hide their criminal history if they've had a clean record for seven years.

A decision to name New Zealand's biggest new private prison a place to "move out of the mist" is being called "potty" by justice campaigners.

A Victorian prisoner mistakenly released from jail was free for six months before he was arrested and returned to custody.

A prison guard who harboured a bailed paedophile at his home, and then charged the offender's ex-wife $18,300 in back rent has quit after an urgent investigation.

Three Otago Correction Facility officers were assaulted by an inmate yesterday morning.

'Help, help, help', started the note found by a shopper buying boots from a New York department store, from a man claiming to be held in a Chinese prison factory.

Criminals are being given free mobile phones in a bid to stop them reoffending when they get out of jail, in a pilot scheme at the privately-run Mt Eden Correctional Facility in Auckland.

Female inmates will be cooking food and serving staff at New Zealand's busiest court in a plan being worked on by justice and prison bosses.

As the Government shuts some of our publicly-run prisons, we investigate whether private prisons are the principled answer to justice.

A Japanese court has decided to release a man who was sentenced to death in 1980 in a high-profile murder case based on new DNA evidence.

As the Crown's balance sheet approaches a quarter of a trillion dollars, managing those assets and the risks is becoming more important, says the Treasury.

About 600 construction workers are on the 17ha site of New Zealand's biggest new prison and the country's largest public-private partnership, which is recruiting staff now.