Source: Radio New Zealand
Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell said “Corrections is not a housing agency” and was not responsible for prisoners’ housing needs after they’re released. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Corrections does not know how many people leave prison with nowhere to live or a reintegration plan, an Auditor-General’s report has revealed.
That information was crucial for preventing homelessness and reducing the risk of reoffending, it said.
But Corrections said “we don’t need to know” where people are going to be living – aside from those released on parole, or with conditions.
Corrections should do better at understanding that, to inform social services who could help those people, the report said.
But Minister Mark Mitchell said “Corrections is not a housing agency” and was not responsible for prisoners’ housing needs after they’re released.
‘We don’t need to know’ – Corrections
People are not obliged to tell Corrections where they are going or whether they have anywhere to live, and some did not want to share that information, the report said.
However, that data could ensure other agencies – like the housing and social development ministries – understand what support people need when they leave prison, and help prevent homelessness.
“This work would be particularly crucial given the importance of stable housing in reducing the risk of someone reoffending and returning to prison,” it said.
Corrections said it did not need to know where prisoners would live after release, unless they were released on parole, or with conditions. RNZ / Blessen Tom
But Corrections’ reintegration and community services director Bronwyn Morrison said while it was concerned if people left prison without anywhere to go, it was only responsible for them if they were released on parole or with conditions.
“We don’t need to know, and they don’t need to tell us, where they’re going to be living,” she said.
“And it probably won’t surprise you to learn that most people would prefer we don’t know.”
Remand prisoners most at risk
Corrections case managers work with people in prison to plan for their rehabilitation and return to society.
Prisoners who have served more than two years are generally well supported to find accommodation, because that was often a condition of parole, the report said.
But remand prisoners – 40 percent of the prison population who are awaiting trial or sentencing – are most at risk.
Staff told the Auditor-General’s office many were not getting sufficient support, largely because their release can be hard to predict.
Most people on remand spend less than a month in prison, though it can range for a day to more than a year, and they can be released at short notice without a plan for housing.
“As a result, they risk falling into, or returning to, an unstable housing situation that could lead to them reoffending and returning to prison.”
Morrison said some people on remand were dealing with mental health and addiction challenges, coupled with the stress of upcoming court dates.
“A lot of people aren’t actually with Corrections very long and there is an element of being in and out of custodial remand as people really struggle to retain their time in the community, without either re-offending or causing a risk or perhaps losing accommodation,” she said.
“So it is quite dynamic and our concern is always going to be focused on community safety.”
Corrections does not track how often case managers meet with prisoners, or the quality of that support, the report said.
Morrison said that work was variable by nature, and prisoners were prioritised based on their re-offending risk.
“We are always focused on making sure those people at high risk of re-offending do have stable accommodation, because that is what’s core for us, achieving community safety outcomes as well as reduced re-offending.”
Corrections had a better grasp on the living situation for people who were being released on parole or with conditions.
Of those, 12 percent – about 6000 people – were recorded in 2024/25 as having no fixed abode, said Morrison.
But that data was not necessarily accurate because often those people found accommodation soon after their release, she said.
Corrections’ role in helping prisoners find homes
Corrections was responsible for ensuring people being released could find “secure, safe and long-term housing”, relying on the wider housing system including social service agencies, the report said.
There are barriers: “A lack of available suitable housing, landlord reluctance to offer tenancy agreements to people with previous convictions, and community safety concerns can make this difficult.”
Corrections contracts accommodation providers to provide homes for up to 1200 people (across 300 beds) each year, at a cost of $27 million (2024/25).
It also funds a service called Out of Gate, which connects people released from prison to different supports, including support finding accommodation.
The department also has accommodation on prison land for high-risk people who have nowhere to go.
They typically stay more than two years, but in some cases, their stay could be indefinite because of the lack of suitable housing.
‘Corrections is not a housing agency’ – minister
Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell said the agency was not responsible for prisoners’ housing needs after they’re released.
“That is for our social service agencies and the wider housing system,” he said.
“What I do expect from Corrections is that they connect prisoners with relevant support services, including referrals to housing agencies, doing everything possible to ensure there is stable accommodation for them to go to once they leave prison.”
Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said the report’s findings reinforce the importance of agencies working together to help prisoners into stable housing. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Corrections assured him that was happening and was doing everything it could do ensure people had a place to live, he said.
“While some areas can be strengthened, I am pleased to hear there is work already planned and underway which is in line with the intent of the report’s recommendations.”
Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said the report’s findings reinforce the importance of agencies working together to help prisoners into stable housing.
“That includes improving information sharing and targeting support more effectively to reduce the risk of homelessness and reoffending,” he said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
