Clendon David: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClendon David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 03 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8545. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.DAVID CLENDON (Green) to the Minister of Corrections: What was the average period of unlock for young people at Mt Eden Correctional Facility when it was run by Serco in June 2015 and what is the current period of unlock for them under the Department of Corrections?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (Minister of Corrections): The unlock time for youth aged 17 and under at Mt Eden Corrections Facility is currently between 3½ and 5 hours per day. Serco was unable to provide a figure as at June this year within the time available.David Clendon: What specific actions did the Department of Corrections take to ensure that the number of hours young people spent locked down in their cell was reduced after the problem was identified by the Ombudsman in April 2014?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: The Department of Corrections has implemented a number of different initiatives; they include putting in place rehabilitative programmes and rehabilitation programmes for youth and educational programmes. It is also looking at staffing requirements.David Clendon: Why then despite those measures did the hours of lockdown for young people increase despite the Department of Corrections being alerted to the problem four times in 14 months between April 2014 and June 2015?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: The number of hours of unlock time have increased since the step in procedure. I think that is a net positive.David Clendon: When was the Minister first made aware of the fact that young prisoners were being kept locked down in their cells for 20 to 23 hours a day?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: I get regular reports from the Ombudsman as well as from Department of Corrections staff. I was made aware of this particular fact earlier this year.David Clendon: Does the admission by Commissioner Burns that the Department of Corrections did not know about the 23-hour lockdown periods until the Ombudsman’s report yesterday reveal a failure in the department’s monitoring of Serco management at the Mt Eden Corrections Facility?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Certainly monitoring is an important part of being aware of what goes on at Mt Eden prison but it is also part of the communication between the Department of Corrections and Serco and being vigilant in contract management.David Clendon: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister did reference monitoring but I am not convinced he—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I invite the member to ask his question again. It was actually very hard to hear because of some interjection on my left. Could the member ask that supplementary question again.David Clendon: Does the admission by Commissioner Burns that the Department of Corrections did not know about the 23-hour lockdown period until the Ombudsman’s report yesterday reveal a failure in the department’s monitoring of Serco management at Mt Eden prison?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: That was Miss Burns’ personal opinion but in terms of the Department of Corrections there is communication between the department and Serco in terms of the monitoring of Mt Eden prison.David Clendon: Were young prisoners locked down at Mt Eden prison for 23 hours a day because Serco did not adequately staff the prison as indicated by Commissioner Burns’ comments that despite the department’s placing 40 extra staff at that prison it is still below strength?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: That certainly is Miss Burns’ opinion of that particular case but the step in procedure was deemed to be necessary at the time and I am confident that the management of Mt Eden prison is currently going well.