Report under Section 15A of the Parole Act 2002

Print

Section 15A(4) of the Parole Act 2002 requires the Department of Corrections to include in its Annual Report information about the use of electronic monitoring during the year to which the Annual Report relates.

Introduction

The information required covers:

  • the number of offenders who were at any time subject to electronic monitoring
  • the average number of offenders who were subject to electronic monitoring and the average duration of the monitoring
  • the percentage of offenders who, while subject to electronic monitoring (other than as a standard detention condition while on home detention), were convicted for a breach of the condition, or convicted of any other offence, or recalled to prison under an interim recall order or a final recall order
  • a description of processes and systems relating to electronic monitoring that were in place during the year reported on.

The number of offenders subject to electronic monitoring condition at any one time

Eight offenders were subject to an electronic monitoring condition during 2005/06.

Three offenders were electronically monitored as a special condition of parole, and five offenders were electronically monitored as a condition of extended supervision.

The average number of offenders subject to an electronic monitoring condition and the average duration of the condition

The average number of offenders subject to an electronic monitoring condition during 2005/06 was three offenders. The average duration of an electronic monitoring condition was nine months.

The percentage of offenders who, while subject to an electronic monitoring condition were convicted for a breach of the condition, or convicted of any other offence, or recalled to prison under an interim recall or final recall order

Two of the eight offenders subject to electronic monitoring during 2005/06 were recalled due to other offences (25%).

A description of the processes and systems relating to electronic monitoring that were in place during the year

Electronic monitoring can only be used as a special condition to monitor an offender's compliance with other special conditions. These include compliance with participation in a programme or conditions prohibiting an offender from entering or remaining in specified places or areas, either at specified times, or at all times.

The New Zealand Parole Board may impose a special condition for an offender to submit to electronic monitoring following an assessment by the Department on the suitability and availability of electronic monitoring.

The Department canvases the suitability of premises for electronic monitoring and assesses the safety and welfare of any occupants proposing to reside with the offender. In all cases the other occupants of the premises must consent to having the offender, who is subject to electronic monitoring, residing with them.

The Department has a contract with Chubb New Zealand Limited for the provision of electronic surveillance, equipment and security guards to facilitate the use of electronic monitoring in the Department's management of offenders.

Electronic surveillance equipment provides specialised monitoring through an electronic unit based at the offender's place of residence. The offender wears an anklet that emits a continuous radio signal and triggers an alarm if the offender leaves the confines of the premises or does not return to the property at times when they are required to be at the premises.