This Government bill amends the Corrections Act 2004, principally to establish a clearer statutory basis for the safe, lawful, and humane management of a small group of prisoners assessed as posing an extreme risk. It is still before Parliament.
A Government bill that sets out clearer rules for managing a small number of prisoners assessed as posing an extreme risk, such as those in Auckland Prison's Prisoners of Extreme Risk Unit. It would broaden the grounds on which prisoners can be segregated (kept apart from others) — including to prevent violence or recruitment into organised crime or violent extremism — and guarantee segregated prisoners minimum entitlements such as human contact and time outdoors. It also covers the handling of prisoners' property.
The bill follows a 2024 Ombudsman report that criticised conditions in the extreme-risk unit as oppressive and hard to reconcile with human-rights standards. Justice Minister Mark Mitchell says it would give Corrections the tools needed to manage those posing an extreme threat. Labour and the Greens seek scrutiny of resourcing and rights, while Te Pāti Māori oppose it, arguing it does not adequately reflect Treaty obligations.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.