Kyla
09-22-2004, 03:51 AM
Mt Eden Prison
Background
There has been a prison on the Mt Eden site since 1856. The original facility was a military stockade that became Auckland's major place of confinement when the old city jail was demolished in 1856. The original stone wall was completed in 1872 at which time the buildings were wooden. The foundations for the existing prison were laid in 1872 and work continued until the present buildings were completed in 1917.
Today, the grey walls and towers of Mt Eden Prison are a reminder of penal confinement in the early days of European settlement. The last hanging at Mt Eden was in 1957.
Mt Eden Prison has a category "B" classification from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust because of its historical significance and architectural quality.
Mt Eden Prison is a medium security institution, with a capacity of 421 male inmates.
Auckland, Mt Eden Men's and Mt Eden Women's Prisons together form the Northern 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 Mt Eden 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.
Mt Eden Prison has a number of other programmes available including anger management, parenting, budgeting, first aid and cultural and spiritual programmes.
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 (eg. 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 at Mt Eden Prison have the opportunity to take part in various inmate employment initiatives including light assembly along with manufacturing enterprises in the textile, plastic stationery and paper product industries as well as assisting in promotional work for charitable or community-based organisations. Other on-site industries include the kitchen, uniform store, cleaning, packaging, laundry and trade maintenance, which includes carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting and general engineering trade activities.
Work skills and qualificactions are given to all inmates who participate in the employment activities in order to provide them skills to obtain legitimate employment upon release. Work parole is also available to selected inmates who fulfil the legal requirements. Inmates receive a small incentive for the work they do.
Education
The prison provides a range of educational programmes for inmates. Three full time education officers are available, assisted by part-time staff under a contract with the Auckland University of Technology. Computer tuition and supervised computer practice are available.
Volunteer tutors also visit the prison each week, providing invaluable support. They work one-on-one with inmates to assist with their education, literacy skills and art work.
The National Certificate in Employment Skills is available to inmates at Mt Eden 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.
Other activities
Programmes in Maori culture, weight training and art are provided.
General information
Mt Eden Prison
Private Bag 92616
Symonds Street
AUCKLAND
Telephone (09) 6237900
Fax (09) 6237901
Site Manager Brigid Bradley
Mt Eden Prison is located on Lauder Road, Mt Eden, Auckland. It is situated in a populated area of Auckland, about 10 minutes by car from Queens Street.
There is no public transport direct to the prison. There is only a short walk to the prison from bus stops outside the Grafton Library on Mt Eden Road or Symonds Street.
Visiting times
Classification
Day
Time
Remand
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
12.00 - 2.30pm
Sentenced
Segs
Saturday
Sunday
8.30am - 3.30pm
8.30am - 3.30pm
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
There has been a prison on the Mt Eden site since 1856. The original facility was a military stockade that became Auckland's major place of confinement when the old city jail was demolished in 1856. The original stone wall was completed in 1872 at which time the buildings were wooden. The foundations for the existing prison were laid in 1872 and work continued until the present buildings were completed in 1917.
Today, the grey walls and towers of Mt Eden Prison are a reminder of penal confinement in the early days of European settlement. The last hanging at Mt Eden was in 1957.
Mt Eden Prison has a category "B" classification from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust because of its historical significance and architectural quality.
Mt Eden Prison is a medium security institution, with a capacity of 421 male inmates.
Auckland, Mt Eden Men's and Mt Eden Women's Prisons together form the Northern 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 Mt Eden 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.
Mt Eden Prison has a number of other programmes available including anger management, parenting, budgeting, first aid and cultural and spiritual programmes.
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 (eg. 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 at Mt Eden Prison have the opportunity to take part in various inmate employment initiatives including light assembly along with manufacturing enterprises in the textile, plastic stationery and paper product industries as well as assisting in promotional work for charitable or community-based organisations. Other on-site industries include the kitchen, uniform store, cleaning, packaging, laundry and trade maintenance, which includes carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting and general engineering trade activities.
Work skills and qualificactions are given to all inmates who participate in the employment activities in order to provide them skills to obtain legitimate employment upon release. Work parole is also available to selected inmates who fulfil the legal requirements. Inmates receive a small incentive for the work they do.
Education
The prison provides a range of educational programmes for inmates. Three full time education officers are available, assisted by part-time staff under a contract with the Auckland University of Technology. Computer tuition and supervised computer practice are available.
Volunteer tutors also visit the prison each week, providing invaluable support. They work one-on-one with inmates to assist with their education, literacy skills and art work.
The National Certificate in Employment Skills is available to inmates at Mt Eden 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.
Other activities
Programmes in Maori culture, weight training and art are provided.
General information
Mt Eden Prison
Private Bag 92616
Symonds Street
AUCKLAND
Telephone (09) 6237900
Fax (09) 6237901
Site Manager Brigid Bradley
Mt Eden Prison is located on Lauder Road, Mt Eden, Auckland. It is situated in a populated area of Auckland, about 10 minutes by car from Queens Street.
There is no public transport direct to the prison. There is only a short walk to the prison from bus stops outside the Grafton Library on Mt Eden Road or Symonds Street.
Visiting times
Classification
Day
Time
Remand
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
12.00 - 2.30pm
Sentenced
Segs
Saturday
Sunday
8.30am - 3.30pm
8.30am - 3.30pm
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.