Crowded house : the New Zealand prisons dilemma (A)

Abstract

This is part of a case series (B epilogue Reference 313-230-1). November 2008: New Zealand's Department of Corrections presented its first briefing to new Minister Judith Collins in the wake of the recent election which had brought the National Party led by John Key to power as part of a coalition of minor parties. The biggest challenges outlined by the Department were marked growth in the number of offenders serving community-based sentences and an increasingly stretched prison system. According to predictions, current prison capacity was likely to be fully utilised by 2010. Unless adequately addressed, Corrections warned that there would be considerable ramifications for offenders, staff and the community at large. This case is ideally suited for group work, to consider what strategy the Corrections Department should adopt to manage the pressure of numbers at a time of financial restraint