Dean Jacqui: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDean Jacqui: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 06 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14404. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) to theMinister of Corrections: What recent announcements has she made on the redevelopment of prison facilities?Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Corrections): I recently announced that Auckland Prison (Maximum Security Division) is to be completely rebuilt to provide a more secure safe and modern facility. The maximum security wing is the only one of its kind in the country and houses this country’s most dangerous and most difficult prisoners. However it is now 45 years old and is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain and it simply does not have the capacity to deliver specialist rehabilitation and mental health services. The wing will be designed built financed and maintained under a public-private partnership but the Department of Corrections will continue to manage the prison’s day-to-day operations.Jacqui Dean: What unique features will the rebuilt maximum security wing have to allow corrections staff to better manage prisoners?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: The rebuild will improve the conditions for staff so that they can work more effectively with prisoners to lower their security classification. The new building will also house a specialist mental health unit for prisoners with severe to moderate needs which will provide care to offenders who currently have to be transferred back and forth from the Mason Clinic. This in turn will ease pressure on the Mason Clinic for the wider population. The facility which is scheduled to open in mid-2017 will be a world-class maximum security unit will put public and staff safety first and will allow corrections to more effectively manage these very dangerous prisoners.Jacqui Dean: What other upgrades has she announced to prison infrastructure?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Today I announced that $81.3 million is being invested to upgrade another five prisons to improve their safety and security and to provide better facilities for prisoner rehabilitation and training. Major infrastructure works will soon begin at Invercargill Whanganui and Tongariro prisons with work already under wayat Waikeria and Rolleston prisons. Not only will the investment we are making in these five prisons improve their security but also we are making sure that they are in the best possible position to help the Government achieve its target of reducing re-offending by 25 percent by 2017.Jacinda Ardern: Is her target to improve the safety of corrections officers by 50 percent through initiatives like this ambitious enough when it is not even getting her back to rates before she came into office with serious prisoner assaults on staff having almost doubled in the last 3 years?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I think it is a bit rich for an Opposition member from the previous Labour Government to address a question on the issue of prisoner safety to this Government which has spent millions of dollars has put in place an external advisory group to work with staff on staff safety and has put out and set a target to improve staff safety when the previous Labour Government did absolutely nothing over 9 years to address the concerns around staff safety.