Department of Corrections

Introduction

The Department of Corrections is committed to equal opportunity in all its employment policies and procedures. The Disability Implementation Work Plan 2007-08 demonstrates this commitment and continues to develop and implement strategies that take into consideration significant aspects of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

The Department of Corrections’ Strategic Business Plan 2003 - 08 identifies ‘diversity and opportunity’ as a key focus that enhances a positive workplace culture and interrelationships between staff and management. The Department aims to ‘progressively review all employment and staff support processes to ensure they are responsive to the needs of staff who have disabilities and in accordance with the Department’s health and safety in employment strategy’. These fundamental values underline the current positive direction of the Department, through the promotion and integration of equal opportunities for all staff.

The Department of Corrections Disability Strategy Implementation Work Plan 2007–08 has incorporated a number of strategies that takes into consideration issues of significance identified in the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

New strategies include: the creation of a new Staff Disability Network; improved data collection processes recording the number of disabled people employed; an update of the Corrections website to improve accessibility to disabled people; and continued assessment and improvement of Public Prison buildings, including the improvement of statutory and regulatory access requirements.

This document has been developed in consultation with the Office of Disability Issues, Groups and Services staff and the Department’s General Managers.

Accessible government

All government agencies are asked to prioritise actions to increase their accessibility to disabled people. This is about getting the basics right, so that disabled people can access government on the same basis as other people.

These actions support realisation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy’s objective 6: foster an aware and responsive public service.

Four critical areas where disabled people interact with government agencies are:

• information – such as brochures, letters, publications, websites
• buildings – such as service centres, corporate offices
• services – such as face to face at a service centre, call centres, information electronically or hard copy
• as an employer – such as job application procedures, job descriptions, accommodations in workplaces, intranets

Accessible information

Outcome: Disabled people can access publicly available government information on the same basis as non-disabled people. Disabled people know about, access and use government information and services.

1. Online information (internet and intranets)

2. Hard copy information

3. Audio/visual resources

4. Other information

Accessible buildings

Outcome: Disabled people can visit, work, and move about independently in all government buildings and carry on ordinary activities there, on the same basis as others.

* Note: Refers to Public Prisons Only

** Note: Denotes percentage increase

NB: To complete the assessment process each prison site has been divided into two main categories. The fist category contains the functions where visitor access is required. The second covers all prisoner residential accommodation and prisoner services. Visitor access areas, making up 50% of the assessment, are then divided into prison entry and visits areas. The prisoner accommodation and services category, making up the remaining 50% of the assessment, is then subdivided into up to eight further sub categories. These categories include high and low security residential accommodation, spiritual, health, programmes and recreation. Each of these sub categories is then assessed for each prison.

Where the prison is new and built since 1999 all categories are assessed as either 100% compliant, or 100% for visitor areas. Where new buildings have been added post 1999 they are assessed as being 100% compliant. The extent to which this impacts on the overall assessment for the two main categories depends on the proportion of other less at that prison.

As new prisons open, older prisons close, and new construction completed at existing prisons the overall percentage for the Department will improve. Because of the large size of the portfolio, the building forms of many of the pre 1991 buildings and funding process the planned improvements as a percentage will be small. For 2007-2008 this is assessed as increasing from 59% to 64%. In the next year planned and funded improvements will only increase this from 64% to 65%.

No change to this assessment method is proposed until the audit process is established.

At the date of this Work Plan there are 20 operational Prisons in service.

1. * Structural elements

2. Contact with the public

* Note: Refers to Public Prisons Only

** Note: Denotes percentage increase

NB: The methodology for outputs 1, 2, 5 and 7 is based on an expansion of the assessment process utilised for / 1. and Structural Elements / Action Output 1.

Output 6 is an estimate only. Provision of obvious and visible entrance and exit signage is the Department’s normal business practice.

3. Workplace management

* Note: Refers to Public Prisons Only

** Note: Denotes percentage increase

NB: Output 2 (Fire Safety and evacuation procedures specify the needs of disabled people) is based on actual numbers of new evacuation plans prepared for the new prison sites. The proposed improvement will occur as existing evacuation plans are revised using a proposed standardised format.

Output 3 (Fire alarms have flashing lights to alert hearing impaired / deaf people) is based on reporting on the recently completed new prison projects.

Accessible services

Outcome: Disabled people can access government services on the same basis as non-disabled people.

1. Policy and practice

Being a good employer

Outcome: Government agencies provide equal opportunities in employment for disabled people to be recruited, retained, and promoted on the same basis as non-disabled people.

1. Employment practice

2. Supports for disabled staff

Including a disability perspective

Government agencies that have social policy responsibilities should complete this section. A disability perspective should be routinely considered within ordinary policy development work that may directly, or indirectly, impact on disabled people.

What is a disability perspective?

A disability perspective is a viewpoint that considers the needs and aspirations of disabled people and their families/whānau. When you apply a disability perspective to a policy or service you are developing, you need to analyse the impact it will have on disabled people and their family/whānau.

In the past, government policy and programmes have often failed to consider disability perspectives. This has effectively prevented disabled people accessing opportunities and fully participating in society.

Government policy and service development that reflects the realities of disabled people’s lives can enhance their participation and independence. This contributes to a more inclusive society. Cabinet requires all papers, where appropriate, to include a disability perspective.

When is it appropriate to include a disability perspective?

Any initiative that directly or indirectly affects disabled people, both within and outside government. Disabled people are present in all social environments - the home, work and the community – of all ages, and in all population groups, such as Maori, Pacific peoples. This means all legislation, policies, programmes and services will potentially impact on them.

Consultation with the disability sector should be considered, where appropriate. The Office for Disability Issues should also be involved on the same basis as other government agencies.

How do I learn more about what a disability perspective means?

The Office for Disability Issues has produced an online resource that explains Cabinet requirements to include a disability perspective in policy development.

This resource can be accessed on the Office website at:

Policy making and service development

Outcome: Government agencies’ policy development shows analysis of the impact upon disabled people. Disabled people experience an increase in their well-being and ability to participate in society as the result of government policy.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

Implementation beyond your agency

Outcome: Government agencies promote action to implement the New Zealand Disability Strategy in other agencies within their monitoring and/or reporting responsibility.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.