Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:634;Page:5496] 
7.  
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
 to the  
Minister of Corrections 
: Does he have confidence in his department; if not why not? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Corrections) 
: 
 Yes but there is always room for improvement. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I shall wait for Simon Power’s own colleagues to be quiet so that we can hear his supplementary question. 
Simon Power 
: Why has it taken his Government 7 years to address mental health screening for prison inmates when current assessment tools ask officers to observe whether new prisoners appear “ill or very sad” and “irrational or threatening” or is his talk of new assessment techniques an acknowledgment that inmates with mental health issues have previously fallen through the cracks? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: As I have stated publicly the issue of mental health care within prisons is a very difficult one. There are issues about what are psychological problems and what are psychiatric problems. We are always moving to improve the level of care within the community and within our prisons for those people who have psychiatric and psychological problems. 
Simon Power 
: Does he agree that questions on inmate questionnaires such as: “How would you say you’ve been feeling in general since you arrived in prison?” “Is prison different from the way you thought it would be?” and “Is there anything in particular you are worried about?” are hardly the sorts of searching questions that cover the range of mental illnesses prisoners might suffer from? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I suggest that the member see a psychologist and ask him or her why those questions have been deemed the appropriate ones to ask prisoners when they first come into prison. We are always working through the processes in order to improve them wherever necessary. 
Simon Power 
: Are inmates arriving in public prisons screened by mental health professionals as they were at the Auckland Central Remand Prison when it was under private management or has the level of mental health expertise of those conducting the screening got less? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: The level of screening within the corrections system has been consistent for some time now. We are currently working on methods of improving it and of identifying the needs of prisoners as they come into prison. 
Simon Power 
: Why can the Department of Corrections not say how many prisoners suffer from an acute mental illness or how many are taking medication for psychiatric conditions when presumably the department dispenses this medication? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: The Department of Corrections can accurately assess the medication going to prisoners. It is always very difficult to accurately assess the difference between a psychological problem and a psychiatric problem for prisoners. If that member cared to visit some of the prisons and find out for himself he would understand that we are dealing with very difficult and challenging people and we do our very best.  
Simon Power 
: Why has he not answered my written question of 1 month ago as to whether any of the four new prisons have plasma or LCD screen TVs and when can I expect an answer? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Because I do not know and—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: This is verging on a relapse of previous behaviour. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I would expect there would not be any other than the exceptional one that might be for treatment or programmes within the prison system. We do not provide TVs for prisoners in the New Zealand corrections system.