PRIORITIES IN TRAINING

PPS General manager Phil McCarthy today confirmed that consideration was being given to the provision of "Customer Relations' courses for Corrections Officers. He appears to be of the opinion that a "small but significant number of staff" has been identified as dealing inappropriately with visitors and other members of the public. It has been acknowledged that the provision of such courses would cost several thousand dollars.

CANZ is astounded by the suggestion that such training is either necessary or appropriate, given the following facts:

1. All new Corrections Officers have to complete an intensive induction course lasting several weeks. If emphasis is required on the "public relations' aspect of a CO's role, then surely this is the time to address it.

2. All new Corrections Officers are required to complete NZQA Unit Standards in order to progress through the current career structure, but many are unable to access relevant training for the standards required due to management claims of budgetary restraints.

3. If funds are available for training, then surely it should be channelled into the provision of core training requirements available through the NZQA framework.

Once again, Prisons Staff appear to be tarred with the collective brush by consultants who make decisions and recommendations from the safety and security of their ivory towers in Wellington. We respectfully recommend that these people get off their collective butts and spend some time at the coalface, in order that they can get a timely injection of reality and find out what it's actually like to work in a prison environment.

Brian Davies
National Organiser