Service Performance: Output Class 6- Prisoner Employment

Prisoner employment contributes to reducing re-offending by providing remand and sentenced prisoners with the opportunity to gain work experience and improve their work habits and skills. Prisoners are also provided with the opportunity to undertake training toward recognised qualifications and work experience that improves their chances of obtaining sustainable post-release employment, which reduces the likelihood of their re-offending.

Over time, prisoner employment aims to provide all prisoners eligible for work with 1,410 hours per year of work training experience. This year's target was 5 million hours.

OUTPUT CLASS STATEMENT: INMATE EMPLOYMENT
For the Year Ended 30 June 2005

OUTPUT 6.1 Land-Based Activities

This output relates to the provision of employment hours and qualifications to prisoners who work in farming, forestry, horticulture and other land-based activities.

Comment

Total hours of employment exceeded expectations. The lower hours of prisoner employment per New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) standard delivered (at 47% below forecast) indicates that significantly fewer hours of employment were needed to achieve a NZQA standard.

In 2005/06 the Department provided land-based employment activities to an average number of 390 prisoners, achieving a total of 2,575 New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) standards. This improvement in the volume of NZQA standards achieved resulted from the adoption of innovative tactics such as the use of external trainers, or assigning instructors as “specialist trainers”.

OUTPUT 6.2 Manufacturing Activities

This output relates to the provision of employment hours and qualifications to prisoners who work in manufacturing, construction and labour-only services.

Comment

Total hours of employment were within expectations. The lower hours of prisoner employment per New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) standard delivered (at 55% below forecast) indicates that significantly fewer hours of employment were needed to achieve a NZQA standard.

In 2005/06 the Department provided manufacturing employment activities to an average number of 452 prisoners, achieving a total of 1,075 New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) standards. This improvement in the volume of NZQA standards achieved resulted from the adoption of innovative tactics such as the use of external trainers, or assigning instructors as “specialist trainers”.

OUTPUT 6.3 Internal Service Self-Sufficiency Activities

This output relates to the provision of employment hours and qualifications to prisoners who work in internal self-sufficiency activities including:

• kitchens and laundry
• cleaning
• prison asset maintenance.

Comment

Internal service self-sufficiency activities are delivered by both Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE) and the Public Prisons Service, with the over-delivery in the year continuing the trend established in the 2003/04 and 2004/05 financial years. The over-delivery was primarily attributable to the Public Prisons Service, reflecting the continuing emphasis on unit cleaning and hygiene, and as a means of minimising the impact of the reduction in other prisoner employment opportunities available at certain locations and for prisoners of particular security classifications. However, there was also a marked increase in CIE internal service activities in kitchens and laundries.

Total hours of employment exceeded expectations (10%). The lower hours of prisoner employment per New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) standard delivered (at 38% below forecast) indicates that significantly fewer hours of employment were needed to achieve a NZQA standard.

In 2005/06 the Department provided internal service self-sufficiency employment activities to an average number of 590 prisoners in Corrections Inmate Employment and an average of 1,2232  prisoners in the Public Prisons Service, achieving a total of 1,917 New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) standards. This improvement in the volume of NZQA standards achieved resulted from the adoption of innovative tactics such as the use of external trainers, or assigning instructors as “specialist trainers”.

The forecast number of hours worked by prisoners in internal self-sufficiency activities is prepared annually based on an average of the preceding two years' historical data.

OUTPUT 6.4 Release to Work

This output relates to employment undertaken by minimum security prisoners in workplaces outside the prison. These are prisoners nearing release who are on release-to-work.

This output relates to the provision of employment hours completed by prisoners participating in the release-to-work programme.

This programme allows prisoners nearing their release date and who meet the eligibility criteria to be temporarily released during the day to work.

Comment

An average of 25 prisoners was engaged on release-to-work activities, compared with the forecast average of 45 prisoners, primarily attributable to insufficient numbers of prisoners being available in the particular locations and with the appropriate security classifications.

The Department was also not able to place the expected number of prisoners on release-to-work while the review of the release-towork scheme was underway. This review is due to be completed by September 2006. However, the Department aimed to identify at least ten eligible and suitable prisoners per prison for release-to-work activities, and there was an increase in the number of prisoners engaged on release-to-work activities in June, peaking at 27. Where possible, prisoners available for work but not matching the release-to-work opportunities available, are employed in activities operated by the Department's Corrections Inmate Employment.

OUTPUT 6.5 Vocational Training Services

This output provides training activities to prisoners that relate directly to the acquisition of employment-related skills, and includes courses to assist in obtaining driver licences and computer skills.

Comment

The number of prisoners who commenced Public Prison Service training and the percentage who received a qualification were above forecast by 21% and 22% respectively, reflecting the positive trend established over the last two years.

The Public Prisons Service regions have consistently exceeded the target in respect of prisoners commencing vocational training activities, reflecting the fact that many of the courses offered (which are generally low cost) are of short duration, and thus attractive to prisoners. The attraction of these short courses is also reflected in the result for prisoners receiving externally recognised qualifications.

Corrections Inmate Employment conducted the first trial of classroom-based vocational training at the Northland Region Corrections Facility from November 2005 to March 2006. Three programmes were provided by the Northland Polytechnic, resulting in a total of 200 credits with 34 prisoners gaining a New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) qualification. The majority of prisoners who did not gain an NZQA qualification during the trial will continue training during the next courses.

OUTPUT 6.6 Community Services

This output relates to the provision of employment hours by prisoners undertaking community services. Prisoners nearing their release date, and who meet eligibility criteria, can work outside of the prison boundaries during the day in supervised work parties benefiting local communities.

Comment

The year-end result reflects staffing level and prison population pressures, particularly those associated with the increased throughput of remand and short-serving prisoners, causing the unavailability of staff to supervise work parties and affecting the ability of some Public Prisons Service regions to meet community service requirements.

Consequently both deliverable hours and numbers of prisoners employed were below forecast levels. Where operational requirements permitted, emphasis continued to be placed on community service activities to identify and take advantage of all available opportunities.

1 The separation of hours worked details the difference between CIE and PPS. CIE activities are NZQA based and PPS activities are not.

2 Average based on monthly “snapshot” of the number of prisoners engaged in internal self-sufficiency activities with the Public Prisons Service.

3 CIE commenced classroom vocational training in November 2005.

4 No forecast was included in the 2005/06 Statement of Intent.

5 An externally recognised qualification is a NZQA unit standard or, where no unit standard exists, one that is a recognised equivalent standard. A recognised equivalent standard is a document that attests that a prisoner has passed either all components of a defined course of study, or a module or unit associated with the partial completion of that course of study.

6 CIE commenced classroom vocational training in November 2005.

7 No forecast was included in the 2005/06 Statement of Intent.

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