Alexander Marc: Corrections Bill — First Reading 
Alexander Marc: Corrections Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:607;Page:4691] 
MARC ALEXANDER (United Future) 
: 
 United Future supports this bill going to the select committee but we do have grave concerns and we will outline them a little later. We commend the Government for undertaking the decisions to upgrade and reform the legal framework of the corrections system. It is advantageous to bring legislation regarding corrections under one bill. 
The Penal Institutions Act and the Criminal Justice Act have both had to incur many incremental changes in the last 49 and 18 years respectively. Current legislation is not user-friendly and struggles to allow for an effective management team. It is timely to look at this legislation and make changes that allow for modern policy security treatment management and administration. New Zealand has changed since the 1950s when the Penal Institutions Act was enacted to govern the prison system. We now govern a much larger group of inmates. We aim to control the entry of different drugs. The more familiar drug marijuana amongst others has now been joined by methamphetamine which is easy to smuggle. 
In 2001 about 2800 inmates tested positive for cannabis and we need to address that and any other drug abuse before our ideas on drug and alcohol treatments can have any real success. We have to draw a line when for example children are used to bring drugs and needles into prisons. We need to consider the implications of needles that are shared amongst inmates entering our prisons and leading to blood-borne viruses. We need to act on statistics that show that the number of random drug tests returning positive results rose again in the year 2001-02. We need to be able to stop unauthorised objects such as mobile phones and weapons from entering our prisons. But to combat that we will need to have different security measures and new surveillance capabilities. These need to be incorporated into legislation to provide for better tools to combat the problems within our corrections system. 
As well as incorporating practical changes into the corrections system there are also new philosophies that guide our policies. We need to legislate these changes to ensure that custodial community-based sentences and rehabilitative interventions are instituted effectively. New ideologies are ineffective if they are not accorded appropriate levels of resources or commitment. 
The motivation to align this bill with the Sentencing Act and the Parole Act is also important. Although it is known that United Future has serious reservations about those new Acts we do still consider it necessary to have legislation working in a complementary fashion and as effectively as possible. But United Future will find it more effective to deal with fewer pieces of legislation when pushing for changes regarding law and order. We think that the provision for a purpose and principle clause in this bill will help align the corrections system to a more modern framework and we look forward to discussions at the select committee to ensure that this will be achieved. 
United Future is very keen to see effective management of the corrections system. Much of this bill is concerned with the policy rules and responsibilities for management including the chief executive of the Department of Corrections taking legal responsibility for all inmates in New Zealand. It is crucial to have submissions and discussions about how these roles have been delineated in the bill and to discuss the responsibilities that they have been given. 
With repeat offending and recidivism levels so high in New Zealand—up to 87 percent within 5 years—we are interested in the level of individual management rehabilitation integrated programmes and assessment that will be available to inmates. We expect this bill will be contentious. The treatment of people involved in the corrections system including all levels of staff and the inmates needs to be considered. We expect deliberation on the rights of inmates balanced by the need for effective procedures. We look forward to arguments being put forward both for and against the new search seizure and detainment powers. We are already aware of staff who will find their inclusion in search and seizure protocols a welcome relief from threats and coercion from inmates. It is not wrong to have search and seizure procedures. Inmates are after all in prison for a crime. They are not meant to be enjoying the pleasures of freedom. Their crimes have seen to that. And visitors should accept that they have nothing to fear if they are not acting against the law. But the need is definitely there. 
In December 2002 a search of 355 visitors in Christchurch Prison resulted in the seizure of cannabis leaf and oil amphetamine drug utensils ammunition and knives; in Waikeria Prison in December 2002 700 pseudoephedrine tablets were located in the vehicle of a visitor. However United Future at the outset of this bill has reservations about the proposal to involve police in visitor searches. It seems the Government is overlooking the fact that we are already experiencing staff shortages particularly in Auckland and that increasing the duties of police is not really a viable option not to mention the practicalities of where these visitors will be held in cells with their kids—and what practical accommodation will be provided? 
United Future has no problem with the intent purpose and scope of this bill excepting in one very important area. Although supporting this bill to select committee we strongly object to the proposal to end and remove the ability to contract out prison management. We have heard that before and this will be a very grave stumbling block to our future approval. We believe that private-public management of prisons requires further deliberation. 
We also consider that this bill will help support a private-public contracting agreement as it is outlined in detailed very focused policies roles and responsibilities. The private-State mix in the running of our prisons is important in that each can keep the other honest particularly in terms of innovation cost efficiency accountability transparency and progress. I hope Labour takes note of those because if the privacy of prisons is not addressed to the satisfaction of United Future we cannot support this bill. We would like to stress that if contracting is not adequately addressed in the select committee support for this bill beyond the first reading will definitely not be assured from United Future. With that one major reservation United Future supports the bill to the select committee.