Dean Jacqui: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Dean Jacqui: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:674;Page:20394] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to rise to speak about Vote Corrections in this debate because this Government under the stewardship of the Minister of Corrections has made some giant leaps if you will in the corrections area. I will talk about a few of those areas. 
The first one I will touch on is that the Minister of Corrections Judith Collins has made it very plain that as the Minister she backs Department of Corrections personnel. When one talks to Department of Corrections officers one finds that they understand that. They understand it. They work in a particularly difficult employment situation and to know that Minister Judith Collins has their back means an awful lot to them. 
This Government has backed up that approach by overseeing the passage of the Sentencing (Aggravating Factors) Amendment Bill which is now an Act of Parliament. That legislation has given the Department of Corrections—and the police but I am talking about Department of Corrections officers now—comfort if you will in their difficult employment situation. If they have been assaulted—and they do get assaulted on an unfortunately regular basis although it is decreasing I might say—they now have the comfort of knowing that when it comes time for the perpetrator who has been accused of that assault to be sentenced that aggravating factor will be taken into account by the court. That is the strongest signal possible by this Government and this Minister that this Government backs Department of Corrections officers. 
It is interesting to note that there is increased public confidence in the Department of Corrections is it not? No doubt that increased public confidence is because the Government has shown confidence in the corrections sector. Sixty-one percent of people now think that the department is doing a good job. What do we compare that figure with? We compare it with only 40 percent in June 2008. So in the term of this Government 61 percent of people now think that the department is doing a good job. By the way the department is doing a good job. 
The Minister has introduced a number of things into our prison system that are having some beneficial results. We are told that drug and alcohol treatment is the single most effective programme that the Department of Corrections is running and that there are early signs of decreased recidivism by those who have taken part. As well as that a number of good things are happening. All prisoners regardless of the length of their sentences now have access to literacy training and are being given opportunities for trades training and work experience inside prisons. That is proving to be hugely beneficial for our prison population. 
I think I need to talk about what is probably one of the single most significant aspects in this debate as far as the Department of Corrections is concerned and that is that from 1 July this year all New Zealand prisons have been made smoke-free. What are the benefits of that change? Clearly the benefit to prisoners is that they get the opportunity to break what is perhaps the habit of a lifetime. It is a habit that we all know is bad for health is dirty and is expensive. They have been given the opportunity to break that habit and more important prisoners are being given the support they need to break the smoking habit. 
Most important—and the Minister of Corrections Judith Collins has said this time and time again—making prisoners smoke-free provides protection for Department of Corrections officers. Previously those officers had to breathe in second-hand smoke which we know is even more dangerous than smoking directly. They no longer have to tolerate second-hand smoke. It is also known that at least twice a week in a New Zealand prison fires were being lit putting officers and the prisoners themselves at risk from fire and smoke inhalation. It was a major problem for New Zealand prisons and for Department of Corrections officers and Minister Judith Collins has dealt with it. Have there been any complaints? No there have not been. In fact I think that— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: The member’s time has expired.