Prison Officers working at full capacity in NZ Prisons have rejected a proposal from the Department of Corrections to go over inmate capacity for a daily allowance.

Mr William Cochrane, National President of the Corrections Association of NZ (CANZ), the Organisation that represents the Prison Officers, said that Prison Officers were not prepared to agree to an increase in inmate numbers because they were already short staffed and that their Health and Safety was already at risk.

William Cochrane said the Department of Corrections needed to urgently deal with the issue of Recruitment and Retention of staff as a priority for resolving the current inmate crisis.

The Corrections Association will seek further discussions with the Department of Corrections to attempt to progress this issue.

William Cochrane
National President
Corrections Association of NZ
Ph (027) 4422077
willie.cochrane@xtra.co.nz