Kyla
09-22-2004, 02:37 AM
Rolleston Prison
Background
The former Department of Justice established Rolleston Prison in 1958 in the former Army Detention Centre. Operations were extended in 1973 with the opening of a detention centre for young male offenders, which later housed corrective trainees. In 1982, the Corrective Training Centre was closed.
The new Rolleston Prison was opened in 1986, which incorporated the Corrective Training Centre buildings. This is now called the Tawa Unit. In 1987, the old prison was renovated and re-opened due to the need for extra prison accommodation.
In 1989, a new 60-bed unit named Kia Marama was opened, providing an intensive eight month treatment programme for male child sex offenders. It was later enlarged to accommodate 80 inmates.
In 1992, another new 60-bed unit named Kowhai was opened, and yet another two have been completed since then. Rolleston Prison now houses around 320 male inmates providing containment for minimum and low medium security inmates.
Christchurch (formerly Paparua), Christchurch Women's, Rolleston, Dunedin and Invercargill Prisons together form the South Island prison region.
Sentence management
The Department provides a structured and integrated approach to managing offenders.
On arrival at prison, each inmate is assessed according to their risk of re-offending, the causes and influences of their offending behaviour, and their willingness to change. The assessment also looks at educational needs, health needs, special needs, and security risks.
A sentence plan is drawn up based on this assessment, focusing on giving the offender opportunities to break the cycle of re-offending. The plan may include programmes aimed at giving inmates the skills to deal with challenges they may face when they return to the community, such as budgeting, employment and relationships.
The process allows for the most appropriate form of intervention to be targeted to each offender. Interventions range from providing education and a career start for young offenders, to providing intensive programmes to those offenders motivated to address the causes of their offending.
Corrections has a strategy in place to minimise harm caused by drug use. The strategy aims to reduce the supply and demand of drugs in prison and the crime associated with it. To achieve the strategy, some of the methods used include visitor searches, vehicle checkpoints, use of drug dogs, a national 0800 JAILSAFE phone line, gathering crime related intelligence, liaison with the Police, and Alcohol and Drug inmate rehabilitation programmes.
All New Zealand prisons provide medical, dental, psychological and counselling services. Chaplains provide church services and bible study groups.
Rehabilitation
A range of programmes has been developed either to improve motivation to change, address educative or employment needs or specifically address what drives an offender's offending behaviour.
The following programmes are offered at Rolleston Prison:
* Straight Thinking - designed to assist offenders to address one of the main causes of their offending - the lack of critical reasoning required to live effectively in society.
* National Certificate in Employment Skills (NCES) - designed to improve the basic literacy and numeracy levels of inmates.
* Adult Literacy.
* Substance Abuse programmes - designed to address an offenders' substance abuse when it is one of the main contributing causes of their offending.
* Violence Prevention - group-based treatment for violent offenders.
* Sex Offending - group based treatment for inmates convicted of sex offending against children.
* Tikanga Maori - designed to address re-offending from a Maori philosophy, values, knowledge and practices perspective.
Returning to the community
The Department believes the successful reintegration of offenders into the community provides the best protection for society. The Department aims to provide offenders with the skills, knowledge and confidence to live successfully in the community in order to reduce their likelihood of re-offending, and a range of reintegrative services is available.
Reintegrative needs are assessed at the start of an offender's sentence, and reviewed throughout. There are seven reintegrative objectives that can be planned for. These are:
* finding a job
* finding somewhere to live
* budgeting effectively
* managing relationships
* developing positive community support
* preventing victim-related problems
* keeping healthy.
There are three levels of assistance, with all offenders receiving "level one" self-help. This includes contact details of organisations that can help them re-settle once they have left prison, and access via case officers to a knowledge base. Some offenders will require greater support from their case officer, and further referral can be made to other specialist staff (e.g. a social worker) or external agencies (e.g. NZPARS) who can provide more in depth support and advice.
For those who do not have the skills to live independently on release, a further level of support is available through reintegrative programmes and/or living in self-care units. These are scheduled for near the end of their period in prison.
Three reintegrative programmes have been developed:
* Living Skills - a 36-hour broad-based programme to give offenders skills and knowledge across most reintegrative areas
* Budgeting Skills - a 10-hour group programme aimed at offenders with specific budgeting and money needs
* Parenting Skills - a 32-hour group programme designed to meet parenting skills needs.
While these programmes are not yet available at all prisons, it is anticipated they will be fully operational by 2004. All three programmes have been designed to meet the specific needs of Maori, Pacific Peoples, women and youth.
Employment
Inmates are employed in the garden and grounds, tailorshop, plant nursery and propogation work and in cleaning and kitchen work. A lot of community work is also undertaken. This includes painting and tidying up play centres, kindergartens, churches, playgrounds and sports fields. Inmates also work to landscape the prison surrounds. Inmates receive a small incentive for the work they do.
Education
The prison's Education Centre provides programmes and courses designed to meet the re-integrative needs of its inmates. Courses in life skills, culture and recreation are just some of those provided by two full-time and numerous part-time tutors. Inmates may undertake studies through a number of distance learning providers.
The National Certificate in Employment Skills is available to inmates at Rolleston Prison. This is a pre-employment qualification which offers learning in a range of work related skills, including basic literacy and numeracy. NCES is recognised by many industry areas throughout New Zealand. The focus is on improving the educational level of inmates to assist them in gaining future employment.
Special units
Kia Marama
Kia Marama is a special treatment unit for child sex offenders run by the Department's Psychological Service. The programme has been effective in reducing sexual re-offending. Research shows 62 percent fewer offenders who had been through the Kia Marama programme re-offended, compared with those who hadn't. Kia Marama means 'Let there be light and insight'.
Kowhai Unit
The Kowhai Unit is a specialist Alcohol and Drug Treatment Unit. The programme is five months long and is based on cognitive behavioural principles. The Unit is drug free.
General information
Rolleston Prison
P O Box 45
ROLLESTON
Telephone (03) 347 9211
Fax (03) 347 9215
Rolleston Prison is situated 28km south of Christchurch. Various bus companies pass Rolleston during the day. City-line run a special bus service on a Saturday to the prison, especially for prison visitors. The bus leaves the Christchurch Square at 12.45pm and leaves Rolleston Prison for the return trip is approximately 4.10pm. A bus comes past the prison from Monday to Saturday at regular daily intervals.
Visiting times
Classification
Day
Time
All inmates
Saturday
9am - 11am
1.30pm - 4pm
Please note: Visitors should ensure that they have a visit time booked with the prison and a letter from the prison confirming this visiting time. Visitors arriving at the prison will be asked by staff to produce their letter of approval, sent prior to the visit, and a form of identification. Other arrangements to visit can be made in special circumstances. Staff may also ask to search a visitor's car, possessions or the visitor.
On occasions the prisons drug dog is used as an aid to detect drugs and other contraband being brought into the prison. All visitors are also required to produce proof of identity and may be required to undergo a search by an officer using a metal detector.
Background
The former Department of Justice established Rolleston Prison in 1958 in the former Army Detention Centre. Operations were extended in 1973 with the opening of a detention centre for young male offenders, which later housed corrective trainees. In 1982, the Corrective Training Centre was closed.
The new Rolleston Prison was opened in 1986, which incorporated the Corrective Training Centre buildings. This is now called the Tawa Unit. In 1987, the old prison was renovated and re-opened due to the need for extra prison accommodation.
In 1989, a new 60-bed unit named Kia Marama was opened, providing an intensive eight month treatment programme for male child sex offenders. It was later enlarged to accommodate 80 inmates.
In 1992, another new 60-bed unit named Kowhai was opened, and yet another two have been completed since then. Rolleston Prison now houses around 320 male inmates providing containment for minimum and low medium security inmates.
Christchurch (formerly Paparua), Christchurch Women's, Rolleston, Dunedin and Invercargill Prisons together form the South Island prison region.
Sentence management
The Department provides a structured and integrated approach to managing offenders.
On arrival at prison, each inmate is assessed according to their risk of re-offending, the causes and influences of their offending behaviour, and their willingness to change. The assessment also looks at educational needs, health needs, special needs, and security risks.
A sentence plan is drawn up based on this assessment, focusing on giving the offender opportunities to break the cycle of re-offending. The plan may include programmes aimed at giving inmates the skills to deal with challenges they may face when they return to the community, such as budgeting, employment and relationships.
The process allows for the most appropriate form of intervention to be targeted to each offender. Interventions range from providing education and a career start for young offenders, to providing intensive programmes to those offenders motivated to address the causes of their offending.
Corrections has a strategy in place to minimise harm caused by drug use. The strategy aims to reduce the supply and demand of drugs in prison and the crime associated with it. To achieve the strategy, some of the methods used include visitor searches, vehicle checkpoints, use of drug dogs, a national 0800 JAILSAFE phone line, gathering crime related intelligence, liaison with the Police, and Alcohol and Drug inmate rehabilitation programmes.
All New Zealand prisons provide medical, dental, psychological and counselling services. Chaplains provide church services and bible study groups.
Rehabilitation
A range of programmes has been developed either to improve motivation to change, address educative or employment needs or specifically address what drives an offender's offending behaviour.
The following programmes are offered at Rolleston Prison:
* Straight Thinking - designed to assist offenders to address one of the main causes of their offending - the lack of critical reasoning required to live effectively in society.
* National Certificate in Employment Skills (NCES) - designed to improve the basic literacy and numeracy levels of inmates.
* Adult Literacy.
* Substance Abuse programmes - designed to address an offenders' substance abuse when it is one of the main contributing causes of their offending.
* Violence Prevention - group-based treatment for violent offenders.
* Sex Offending - group based treatment for inmates convicted of sex offending against children.
* Tikanga Maori - designed to address re-offending from a Maori philosophy, values, knowledge and practices perspective.
Returning to the community
The Department believes the successful reintegration of offenders into the community provides the best protection for society. The Department aims to provide offenders with the skills, knowledge and confidence to live successfully in the community in order to reduce their likelihood of re-offending, and a range of reintegrative services is available.
Reintegrative needs are assessed at the start of an offender's sentence, and reviewed throughout. There are seven reintegrative objectives that can be planned for. These are:
* finding a job
* finding somewhere to live
* budgeting effectively
* managing relationships
* developing positive community support
* preventing victim-related problems
* keeping healthy.
There are three levels of assistance, with all offenders receiving "level one" self-help. This includes contact details of organisations that can help them re-settle once they have left prison, and access via case officers to a knowledge base. Some offenders will require greater support from their case officer, and further referral can be made to other specialist staff (e.g. a social worker) or external agencies (e.g. NZPARS) who can provide more in depth support and advice.
For those who do not have the skills to live independently on release, a further level of support is available through reintegrative programmes and/or living in self-care units. These are scheduled for near the end of their period in prison.
Three reintegrative programmes have been developed:
* Living Skills - a 36-hour broad-based programme to give offenders skills and knowledge across most reintegrative areas
* Budgeting Skills - a 10-hour group programme aimed at offenders with specific budgeting and money needs
* Parenting Skills - a 32-hour group programme designed to meet parenting skills needs.
While these programmes are not yet available at all prisons, it is anticipated they will be fully operational by 2004. All three programmes have been designed to meet the specific needs of Maori, Pacific Peoples, women and youth.
Employment
Inmates are employed in the garden and grounds, tailorshop, plant nursery and propogation work and in cleaning and kitchen work. A lot of community work is also undertaken. This includes painting and tidying up play centres, kindergartens, churches, playgrounds and sports fields. Inmates also work to landscape the prison surrounds. Inmates receive a small incentive for the work they do.
Education
The prison's Education Centre provides programmes and courses designed to meet the re-integrative needs of its inmates. Courses in life skills, culture and recreation are just some of those provided by two full-time and numerous part-time tutors. Inmates may undertake studies through a number of distance learning providers.
The National Certificate in Employment Skills is available to inmates at Rolleston Prison. This is a pre-employment qualification which offers learning in a range of work related skills, including basic literacy and numeracy. NCES is recognised by many industry areas throughout New Zealand. The focus is on improving the educational level of inmates to assist them in gaining future employment.
Special units
Kia Marama
Kia Marama is a special treatment unit for child sex offenders run by the Department's Psychological Service. The programme has been effective in reducing sexual re-offending. Research shows 62 percent fewer offenders who had been through the Kia Marama programme re-offended, compared with those who hadn't. Kia Marama means 'Let there be light and insight'.
Kowhai Unit
The Kowhai Unit is a specialist Alcohol and Drug Treatment Unit. The programme is five months long and is based on cognitive behavioural principles. The Unit is drug free.
General information
Rolleston Prison
P O Box 45
ROLLESTON
Telephone (03) 347 9211
Fax (03) 347 9215
Rolleston Prison is situated 28km south of Christchurch. Various bus companies pass Rolleston during the day. City-line run a special bus service on a Saturday to the prison, especially for prison visitors. The bus leaves the Christchurch Square at 12.45pm and leaves Rolleston Prison for the return trip is approximately 4.10pm. A bus comes past the prison from Monday to Saturday at regular daily intervals.
Visiting times
Classification
Day
Time
All inmates
Saturday
9am - 11am
1.30pm - 4pm
Please note: Visitors should ensure that they have a visit time booked with the prison and a letter from the prison confirming this visiting time. Visitors arriving at the prison will be asked by staff to produce their letter of approval, sent prior to the visit, and a form of identification. Other arrangements to visit can be made in special circumstances. Staff may also ask to search a visitor's car, possessions or the visitor.
On occasions the prisons drug dog is used as an aid to detect drugs and other contraband being brought into the prison. All visitors are also required to produce proof of identity and may be required to undergo a search by an officer using a metal detector.