Department of Corrections
New Zealand Disability Strategy Implementation Work Plan. 1 July 2005 – 30 June 2006
Introduction
This document details the Department of Corrections Disability Implementation Work Plan for the 2005-06 year. It builds on the previous year’s work plan and takes into consideration issues of significance identified in the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2005.
This document has been developed in consultation with the Office of Disability Issues, HR Managers, and General Managers and has been submitted to SMT for approval.
Significant actions for the 2004-05 period included a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health, revised standards for the delivery of health and disability services, and working towards meeting all building code requirements.
A number of new actions have been included in this years plan.
One of these is a staff disability forum. Last year the Department has made some inquiry into developing a disability network. Feedback suggested that the identification of a disability network may work negatively against affected staff. As a result a disability forum meeting twice a year and consisting of non-disabled and disabled staff will be considered. This may be an alternative way of supporting disability issues in the workplace without placing unnecessary pressure on affected staff.
With the planned review of the Department’s HR policies, the consideration of disability issues will be incorporated into this review.
1. Access to Corrections Services
Desired Outcome
Offenders with disabilities receive criminogenic treatment and assessment interventions appropriate to both their criminogenic needs and disability and to a level equivalent to that for offenders generally.
Where possible, offenders with disabilities will be managed so that they are able to receive mainstream interventions to meet their criminogenic needs.
Description
The Department of Corrections will investigate the degree to which the nature of an offender’s disability (whether physical, sensory, neurological, psychiatric, intellectual, developmental or other disability) means that standard treatment and assessment interventions are unworkable or inappropriate in their current form, and consider the viability of adapting these or providing potential alternative interventions if and where this is the case.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
As criminogenic treatment and assessment operational policies and interventions are reviewed, consider how those programmes could be made more accessible to and effective for, offenders with different types of disabilities (physical, sensory, neurological, psychiatric, intellectual or developmental) and how these challenges can practicably be mitigated.
Responsibility: Policy Development
Date: Ongoing
Sentence planning processes will progressively include such things as “Living Needs Assessments/Reintegrative Needs Assessments”, which include disability information, as a means of assessing the impacts of an offender’s disability on their ability to fulfil the requirements of their sentence are conducted.
Responsibility: PPS / CPS
Date: 30 June 2006
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Ensure rights for disabled people.
Foster an aware and responsive public service.
2. Consultation and Policy Processes
Desired Outcome
Corrections policy and procedures will better meet the needs of disabled people in New Zealand.
Description
Consultation processes and policy development strategies will consider the needs of disabled people.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
The Corrections Policy Template for peer review and quality assurance is used to ensure all issues, including disability related issues [CAB Min (01)27/7A], are included in policy formulation and addressed in consultation strategies and approaches.
Responsibility: Policy Development
Date: Ongoing
Implement the Disability Perspective Framework within six months of this being finalised and released by Office for Disability Issues, by updating the Corrections Policy Template and processes as above.
Responsibility: Policy Development
Date:
Contribute where relevant to consultation and policy development led by the Office for Disability Issues related to the development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People and other initiatives that may arise, according to standards and timeframes advised by that Office.
Responsibility: Policy Development
Date: Ongoing
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society.
Foster an aware and responsive public service especially action 6.1 in the NZ Disability Strategy “develop mechanisms to ensure that all government policy and legislation is consistent with the objectives of the New Zealand Disability Strategy (NZDS)”.
3. Information About Disabled Offenders and Disability Issues
Desired Outcome
Better information will exist about the nature and level of disabilities amongst offenders on both custodial and community based sentences, and enable more effective targeting of core business services to address the needs and issues of disabled offenders.
Description
Accurate and complete information collected on disabilities of offenders and disability issues to inform decision-making and service provision.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
Information available on disabilities in the prison population and amongst those serving non-custodial sentences will develop progressively as the Department enhances its information collection processes and systems.
Responsibility: Policy Development
Date: Ongoing
Continue to collate information on ethnicities, gender, locations, and types of offences/sentences of offenders with different types of disabilities.
Responsibility: Corporate Management
Date: Ongoing
Link to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues.
4. Implementation of Prison Health and Disability Service Specifications and Descriptions
Desired Outcomes
Ensure that prison inmates receive health and disability support services to the level and standards that generally exist within the community for public health services. This will generally be achieved through the provision of primary health services in the prison environment and by referral to outside providers for other services.
Ensure that health and disability support services are delivered efficiently and consistently throughout the prison service.
Ensure that consideration is given to the extent to which health and disability support services should be provided to support the rehabilitative needs of inmates.
Description
The Department of Corrections has a set of health and disability support service specifications and descriptions for inmates, which meet New Zealand and international obligations and standards regarding the provision of health and disability support services to inmates, now ready for implementation.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
Continue to implement revised standards for delivery of health and disability support services, including enhanced services for disabled inmates, as per the implementation plan subject to funding.
Responsibility: PPS
Date: Ongoing
Continue to meet the criteria set out in the Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Health, which aims to ensure access to disability support services, particularly needs assessment and service coordination, to a level equivalent to that which generally exists within the community.
Responsibility: PPS
Date: Ongoing
By September 2006 carry out a bi-yearly review of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health.
Responsibility: Corporate Management
Date: 30 Sept 2006
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Ensure rights for disabled people.
Create support systems centred on the individual.
Foster an aware and responsive public service
5. Physical Accessibility in New Prisons and Other Corrections Facilities
Desired Outcome
Ensure that new prisons and other Corrections facilities meet statutory and regulatory access requirements and provide for additional needs of disabled staff where practicable.
The only limitations to accessibility in new prisons and other facilities derive from custodial and operational requirements.
Description
New prisons and other Corrections facilities will provide appropriate physical accessibility for all users of the facilities including prisoners and staff with physical disabilities and, to an extent consistent with their access rights, visitors to prisons.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
All new prison and other Corrections facility developments continue to meet access requirements of the Building Act (2004), Building Regulations (1992), NZ Building Code Handbook and Fire Safety and Evacuation of Buildings Regulations 1992.
Responsibility: Assets and Property
Date: Ongoing
NZS 4121:2001 Design for access and mobility: Buildings and associated facilities continues to be met in all new prisons and facility developments.
Responsibility: Assets and Property
Date: Ongoing
Link to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Ensure rights for disabled people.
6. Physical Accessibility at Existing Corrections Department Sites
Desired Outcome
Ensure safety and improve access and facilities for physically disabled users, as part of the maintenance and progressive refurbishment of existing sites.
Description
Appropriate consideration of access and disability issues is given in determining priorities for maintenance and refurbishment of all Community Probation Service, Psychological Service, Head Office and Prison sites.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
All refurbishment business cases, e.g. for prisons, Corrections Inmate Employment and Community Probation Service sites, continue to explicitly consider access and disability issues for offenders, staff with disabilities and all other users.
Responsibility: Assets and Property
Date: Ongoing
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Ensure rights for disabled people.
Foster an aware and responsive public service.
7. Communication including Web Based Communication
Desired Outcomes
Disabled people in New Zealand will be better able to influence and access departmental policies and procedures.
Information on the web site will better fulfil the requirements for access by disabled readers.
Description
The Department of Corrections will implement initiatives for increasing the accessibility of publicly released consultation documents and final reports so that accessibility becomes one of our considerations when planning publications.
The Department of Corrections will make its website accessible to the standards specified by the SSC Information and Communications Technology unit’s New Zealand E-government Strategy.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
The Publications Policy, including principles that ensure increased accessibility and for publishing in alternative formats appropriate to the different needs of disabled people, is implemented by 30 December 2005.
Responsibility: SS Communications
Date: December 2005
E-government guidelines recommend websites be accessible to as many people as possible by being compatible to voice-reader web browsers, enabling font enlargement and keyboard navigation. Compliance with current guidelines and working towards the revised 2006 guidelines should ensure significant accessibility.
Responsibility: Corporate Management
Date: January 2006
Continue to demonstrate compliance with current guidelines and planned adoption of the 2006 web guidelines.
Responsibility: Corporate Management
Date: January 2006
Link to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Foster an aware and responsive public service, especially action 6.5 in the NZ Disability Strategy “make all information and communication methods offered to the general public available in formats appropriate to the different needs of disabled people”.
8. Employment
Desired Outcomes
Employment of people with disabilities in the Department of Corrections, consistent with the Department’s distinctive security and health and safety requirements.
Better understanding of the needs of disabled staff, offenders and others with disabilities.
Description
Progressively review recruitment, induction and other employment processes, including contracting of external service providers [EHC Min (01) 8/4] and staff support processes, to ensure that they are responsive to the needs of disabled people in balance with the Department’s health and safety in employment strategy.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
Guidelines for employing people under the Workbridge and Mainstream programmes are published.
Responsibility: SS Human Resources
Date: Sept 2005
In conjunction with the review of the HR policy manual, HR policies and procedures will be reviewed to remove unwanted barriers to employment for the disabled.
Responsibility: SS Human Resources
Date: June 2006
As induction policies and resources are reviewed and developed, the place of disability awareness is considered and appropriate changes made.
Responsibility: SS Human Resources
Date: June 2006
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Actions
Provide opportunities for employment and economic development for disabled people.
Foster an aware and responsive public service.
Information for the Office for Disability Issues
Corrections Profile (for inclusion in the Public Service plan)
The core business of the Department of Corrections is the management of the custodial and non-custodial sentences and orders imposed by the courts. This includes the administration of sentences of imprisonment and those sentences/orders undertaken by offenders in the community such as supervision, community work, home detention and parole. Corrections also provides information to the judiciary to inform decision-making, and provides administrative, financial and secretarial services to the New Zealand Parole Board.
The Department employs over 5000 staff and operates 20 Public Prison institutions, 12 Community Probation Service areas (with staff at approximatley 144 locations), eight Psychological Service offices and Head Office. Land and buildings managed are worth over $600 million.
Corrections Policy Initiatives for 2005/06
Policy initiatives intended for the planning year in question include:
Strategic and Legislative Policy
- Consideration of screening, treatment, management and after-care of high and complex behaviour needs offenders.
- Development of a revised protocol, with the Ministry of Health, for opioid substitution for offenders.
- Consideration of options for managing prisoners who are disruptive.
- Completion of an operational framework for more effective management of short serving prisoners.
Operational Policy
- Development of tests of best interest for the placement of young prisoners.
- Completion of the pilot and evaluation of supported accommodation for high need offenders.
- Consideration of options for the future delivery of the Reducing Youth Offending Programme, including options for high risk young offenders.
- Review release to work policies.
- Review the Identified Drug User programme.
- Development of specifications for vocational training.
Strategic Analysis
- Manage annual programme of research and evaluation projects
- Calculate annual recidivism statistics for prison releases and community-sentence offenders and annual rehabilitative programme outcome statistics.
- Report on the prison and community sentence offender populations (numbers, offence-related features, demographics, etc), both in terms of a "snapshot" and annual through-put volumes.
- Participate in / contribute to major projects relating to the modelling of justice sector volumes led by other justice-sector agencies.
- Conduct analysis of recent prison muster growth, to contribute to an improved knowledge of key drivers, and identify implications for further growth.
Treaty Relationships
- Continue to bring about Integrated Māori Staff Networks.
- Continue to implement Partnerships Framework.
- Complete Memorandum of Partnership for signing for Wanganui, Ngāti Naho, Pukaki, Otakou Runanga, Tai Poutinin.
- Manage Kaitiaki input to new corrections facilities.
- Support the development of the department's Māori Communications Plan.
Māori and Pacific Policy
- Develop the operating requirements and model for the management and the day-to day activities of a Pacific Focus Unit.
- Develop a policy for the conduct of Māori ceremonies on departmental premises.
- Investigate the feasibility of a mentoring model for Māori youth.
- Progress a number of projects from the Pacific strategy. This will include the establishment of a National Integrated Framework for Pacific Staff networks and the development of the Aiga/Fanau concept for the Pacific Focus Unit.
- Develop mechanisms through which the Department of Corrections can optimise Māori responsiveness initiatives to achieve better outcomes for Māori.
- Develop operating principles (based on Māori principles, processes and practices) requirements and an operating model for the Pua Wananga in Northland.