Statement of Intent 2022-2026

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Introduction from the Chief Executive

This Statement of Intent covers four years until 2026. By then, we will have a refreshed strategy in place that will build on the foundation laid by Hōkai Rangi. We will also have started to see the impact of some of our flagship projects like the Hikitia Mental Health Service at Waikeria Prison, and the Māori Pathways Programme being implemented at three sites.

Public safety is our top priority, and Corrections has long committed to doing everything we can to help people address the causes of their offending, improve their wellbeing, and enable them to safely reintegrate back into our communities.

Hōkai Rangi was the start of a new way of looking at how we manage people and provided the building blocks for future change. As we continue to work and build on this strategy, it is important we reflect on our successes to date and recognise that the world we live in now is very different to the world that existed when Hōkai Rangi was launched.

We are a complex organisation, navigating in a complex and uncertain environment. While we cannot know for sure the challenges that lie ahead for us as an organisation, what COVID-19 has taught us is the importance of being agile.

As we look ahead, we will continue with more of an adaptive approach. I want our people and our organisation to have the ability to successfully absorb, flex and adapt to changing situations – whether it is an operational issue impacting one of our prisons, or a collective response to a global pandemic. We need to be able to sustainably achieve our goals in both expected and unexpected situations alike, all while ensuring people are at the centre of our efforts.

This means investing in our people. We have a dedicated workforce who operate in extremely difficult environments, across both prisons and in the community. We must continue to provide our staff with the training, tools, and support they need to undertake their roles effectively. This is critical to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our staff, and I know we will benefit the from funding in Budget 2022 specifically targeted at staff training to deal with increasing operational complexity and violence.

We must also continue to develop and strengthen relationships with our partners including iwi, hapū, and whānau to deliver enduring outcomes. A strengthened relationship model will be one of the cornerstones of our development as it gives us a clear guide to the best way to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of the people we manage.

The progress made to date is positive and heading in right direction. In Hōkai Rangi, we have a strategy that lets us enable change. We are focused on delivery, and we are constantly testing and revising plans to ensure they are having an impact. We know there is more to do, and this document outlines what will enable us to keep the public safe, reduce re-offending, and address Māori overrepresentation.

Chief Executive statement of responsibility

In signing this information, I acknowledge that I am responsible for the information on strategic intentions for the Department of Corrections (Ara Poutama Aotearoa).

This information has been prepared in accordance with section 38 and section 40 of the Public Finance Act 1989.