Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment

Report, it was highlighted that New Zealand had a higher prisoner/frontline
staff ratio than Australia, Canada, England and Wales, and Scotland. During
2005/06, the ratio of prisoners to full time equivalent frontline staff in New
Zealand was identified at 2.5:1. This is compared to recent rates of 1.9:1 in
both Australia and Canada; 2.1:1 in England and Wales; and 1.5:1 in
Scotland. While such ratios are fraught with difficulties – in that how the data
is collated varies from country to country (for instance, whether it includes
administrative as well as frontline staff) – the issue of staffing levels remains
important. The Department of Corrections (2009c) has since indicated that
local ratio levels have dropped to approximately 2.3:1. This improvement will
invariably decrease pressures on staff as well as prisoners.
As the Department of Corrections (2008:23) has established, the Department
operated at a level of high pressure on operations, with „significant quality
degradation and considerable negative impact on staff‟ during 2005/06 and
2007. During this period, there were also times when the Department
operated „at a high risk of failure, and a significant negative impact on staff‟.
In this context, it is no surprise that – without the right support – staff can burn
out, there can be high levels of absenteeism, and staff will leave. The top
priority is, then, to recruit, train, nurture, promote, and improve prison
personnel. Part of this approach is the need to build a professional culture of
excellence within prison officer ranks.
In New Zealand, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to enhance the
professional development of staff and to support them in gaining skills and
experience. These include:
Changes to staff selection processes, based on research into factors
which predict reduced turnover and „high performance‟ as a
Corrections Officer.
A new year-long induction process, during which time the new
employee will receive line-management support.
Tactical Communications training, that provides prison officers with the
skills to de-escalate situations by calming angry prisoners.
Tailored development programmes for senior staff and managers, to
enable them to manage their staff more effectively.
Annual PRIDE awards and new recognition awards to acknowledge
outstanding conduct and professionalism.
Improved, more relevant, staff training on ethics and integrity.
Executive Scholarships, to support workers to complete advanced
qualifications.
The introduction of a major staff safety programme and Occupational
Health and Safety Boards in all Correctional workplaces.
These advances should be consolidated, and care taken to ensure that the
drive for efficiences does not work against this professionalisation and safety
of staff. Moreover, at a general level, fuller research on Correctional staff –
including on their recruitment, training, conduct and culture – would be
valuable in New Zealand.
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