Kyla
09-22-2004, 02:52 AM
Mt Eden Women's Prison
Background
Until 1959, female inmates were housed in the north wing extension and wooden building of the main prison. That year the majority of female inmates were moved to Dunedin Prison to provide additional accommodation for males. Only remand inmates and those serving short sentences were retained at Mt Eden.
In 1965 the last female inmates moved out of the main prison into the former superintendent's residence. The old wooden building within the prison walls was demolished to become the maximum security block in 1966.
Mt Eden Women's Prison only has sufficient capacity for remand inmates and those serving short sentences. It receives all female inmates from courts north of and including Taupo.
Mt Eden Women's Prison generally holds between 50 and 53 inmates, with a maximum capacity of 54 inmates. It had dormitory style accommodation until new cells were provided in 1988.
Auckland, Mt Eden 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 Women's 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.
* He Rapunga Moku - an innovative Tikanga Maori programme.
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.
In addition to prison-based programmes, home leave, reintegration paroles and release to work are available prior to release. The prison works with a range of community providers including Te Hokinga Mai, Books in Prisons Trust, Maori Women's Welfare League and the Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society.
Employment
Inmate employment includes general housekeeping duties, such as cleaning and operating the prison kitchen and laundry, along with general assembly work in the workshops. Inmates receive a small incentive for the work they do.
Education
The prison has two full-time education officers assisted by part-time staff. In addition, the prison has programmes in Maori culture, music, textiles and art.
The National Certificate in Employment Skills is available to inmates at Mt Eden Women's 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.
Future plans
A new, larger women's prison is being developed in South Auckland and will replace the existing Mt Eden Women's Prison in 2004/2005.
General information
Mt Eden Women's Prison
Private Bag 50-123
Upper Symonds Street
AUCKLAND
Telephone (09) 623 7945
Fax (09) 623 7903
Site Manager Lynnette Stankovich
Mt Eden Prison is on Lauder Road, Mt Eden, which is about 4km from the centre of Auckland. The Women's Prison is outside the main prison.
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
Weekdays
12pm - 2.30pm
Sentenced
Saturday
8.30am - 10.30am
1.30pm - 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
Until 1959, female inmates were housed in the north wing extension and wooden building of the main prison. That year the majority of female inmates were moved to Dunedin Prison to provide additional accommodation for males. Only remand inmates and those serving short sentences were retained at Mt Eden.
In 1965 the last female inmates moved out of the main prison into the former superintendent's residence. The old wooden building within the prison walls was demolished to become the maximum security block in 1966.
Mt Eden Women's Prison only has sufficient capacity for remand inmates and those serving short sentences. It receives all female inmates from courts north of and including Taupo.
Mt Eden Women's Prison generally holds between 50 and 53 inmates, with a maximum capacity of 54 inmates. It had dormitory style accommodation until new cells were provided in 1988.
Auckland, Mt Eden 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 Women's 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.
* He Rapunga Moku - an innovative Tikanga Maori programme.
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.
In addition to prison-based programmes, home leave, reintegration paroles and release to work are available prior to release. The prison works with a range of community providers including Te Hokinga Mai, Books in Prisons Trust, Maori Women's Welfare League and the Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society.
Employment
Inmate employment includes general housekeeping duties, such as cleaning and operating the prison kitchen and laundry, along with general assembly work in the workshops. Inmates receive a small incentive for the work they do.
Education
The prison has two full-time education officers assisted by part-time staff. In addition, the prison has programmes in Maori culture, music, textiles and art.
The National Certificate in Employment Skills is available to inmates at Mt Eden Women's 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.
Future plans
A new, larger women's prison is being developed in South Auckland and will replace the existing Mt Eden Women's Prison in 2004/2005.
General information
Mt Eden Women's Prison
Private Bag 50-123
Upper Symonds Street
AUCKLAND
Telephone (09) 623 7945
Fax (09) 623 7903
Site Manager Lynnette Stankovich
Mt Eden Prison is on Lauder Road, Mt Eden, which is about 4km from the centre of Auckland. The Women's Prison is outside the main prison.
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
Weekdays
12pm - 2.30pm
Sentenced
Saturday
8.30am - 10.30am
1.30pm - 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.