9. Corrections Department—Child Sex Offender ManagementHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) to the Minister of CorrectionsCorrections Department—Child Sex Offender Management9. Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) to the Minister of Corrections: Is she satisfied with her department's system of contracting providers and approving residences for offenders with a pervasive pattern of serious sexual offending against children who the High Court has found are a high risk of further sexual offending?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Corrections): Yes I have full confidence in the Department of Corrections to undertake its duties under the law.Su'a William Sio: What process and criteria were used by her department to determine that it was OK for a child sex offender to be placed near a school like Jean Batten School in Māngere despite her department being aware that the offender had raped a 13-year-old girl and is at high risk of reoffending?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Well given that section 7(3) of the Corrections Act means that I am not able to give directions about the exercise of powers and functions in relation to a particular person." it does make it a bit difficult to deal with that particular question but I am happy to help the member by advising the House of the criteria that the department looks at when it approves residences for placements and I hope that that will help him with his answer. The public's safety is obviously the primary priority for the Department of Corrections. It considers proximity to schools and preschools. It notes that as a guide a child sex offender should not live within 1 kilometre of such facilities but in cities 500 metres may be more realistic. It looks at proximity to playgrounds parks reserves public swimming pools churches thoroughfares or residences with young families other places frequented by children shared driveways or facilities; proximity to victims; proximity to counselling and support services and availability of transport to these; any evidence of children under 16 residing at the address; and suitability of other occupants and neighbours and whether they have children and are aware of the offending. Community Corrections also checks with the other involved professionals such as mental health teams Child Youth and Family and police to determine whether they approve of the proposed address.Su'a William Sio: Is it correct that under an extended supervision order there can be intensive monitoring for only 12 months and that this monitoring cannot be renewed; if so is she satisfied that electronic bracelets alone will protect young women or children from these sexual predators who are at high risk of reoffending?Mr SPEAKER: Again there are two supplementary questions. The Hon Judith Collins can answer one.Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I understand that the member may be misinformed on that. I understand that there is a particular person who has been on intensive monitoring for 10 years and has still got intensive monitoring now so quite clearly people do in fact have monitoring that is extended.Mahesh Bindra: If this Government claims to protect New Zealanders from disgusting sexual predators how on earth does a sexual offender end up on a bracelet and not locked up as they should be?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I would have thought it was obvious—they have finished their sentence.Hon Trevor Mallard: Is a property just over 500 metres from a school with 31 children living in the immediate vicinity a suitable place to house Robert John McCorkindale who has three sets of convictions dating back to 1987 for sexual offences on girls as young as 4—including abduction with the intent to have sexual intercourse—and whom the High Court found in April this year is at high risk of further serious sexual offending?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: It would be outside of the Corrections Act and of the law for me to comment about a particular matter and whether or not the placement was suitable. I would however note that the Department of Corrections always reviews these sorts of placements particularly where there is concern expressed by the public.Hon Trevor Mallard: Does she agree with the corrections regional director that the 1-kilometre or 500-metre distance from schools special condition should be measured by a circuitous route around roads when this paedophile can jump the back fence at his place of detention and be in the local school's new-entrants' playground in less than 3 minutes?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I am concerned that the member obviously has not heard that I am not able to make comment about particular placements given the Corrections Act but I am however happy to say to him and the concern that he has—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! This is a very serious matter. I do not want interjection.Hon JUDITH COLLINS: The person he has named I understand has already spent 10 years in the community under intensive supervision and I am assured that in that time he has not reoffended. I think it would also be helpful to the member if he knew that intensive supervision—or intensive monitoring rather in this case—means that someone is with him 24 hours 7 days a week as well as GPS monitoring and that as I have just said he has been in the community for 10 years without offending.Hon Trevor Mallard: Does the Minister agree with advice given by corrections to the neighbouring parents of 5- and 6-year-old girls who for years have had a paddling pool on their deck—now overlooked on by this paedophile—that they should modify their parenting and have their girls play on the other side of their house?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: If that report is accurate then that would seem to be an inappropriate comment.Hon Trevor Mallard: Is the corrections' system of approving residences robust when this paedophile has a shower in a room with clear windows overlooking the street and what does she say to the parents of passing preschool girls who will be the stimulation for his masturbation?Mr SPEAKER: There are two questions there; the Hon Judith Collins can choose to answer either one.Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I have a great deal of sympathy for members of the public and parents who know that unfortunately there are in fact many sex offenders living in our communities. In this particular case we know where he is. He is under 24-hour 7-day-a-week individual monitoring—he has someone with him all that time—and I am sure that this matter as I have been advised by the Department of Corrections is being reviewed as are all of its placements when there are any concerns raised by members of the public."