Prison Fellowship is seeking support from Christians in an approach to the Minister of Corrections to try and save the faith-based unit at Rimutaka Prison, which is under threat of closure.

Prison Fellowship NZ has operated the national faith-based unit in partnership with the Department of Corrections, since October 2003. It is the only official faith-based unit in Australasian prisons and is widely respected internationally.

The unit's operations were extended first by Operation Jericho, a single mentor-based aftercare programme, then the whole throughcare scheme, the only scheme of its kind in a New Zealand prison. This scheme was extended by PFNZ, at considerable ongoing cost, with a more intensive community-led care scheme, Target Communities, based on an internationally proven model.

In a press release, PFNZ says that over the years it asked Corrections to evaluate the scheme for continual improvement. After almost eight years an internal evaluation was carried out in 2010.

This demonstrated that the entire scheme was running effectively as a Christian faith-centred therapeutic community with a reintegration focus, except that Correction's Recidivism Quotient statistics did not show a demonstrable improvement in reducing recidivism. Statistical experts have advised PFNZ that this was probably because of the very small number of programme ‘completers' analysed in this comparator.

According to Corrections, this comparator has never been used before to measure reintegration activities, which is the primary purpose of the unit, but Corrections stated it should be used on this occasion as the final decisive element about unit success. Recently promulgated KPIs covering community-based success for ex-prisoners were not used.

As a result of the evaluation, Corrections advised the Minister of Corrections, and she agreed in November 2010, that the contract should be extended until June 2013 so that: ‘This would give PFNZ, RRS and PPS the time to implement the changes recommended in the evaluation.' These agreed changes only covered operational matters related to the newly agreed Intervention Logic. PFNZ has submitted proposed changes for all of these, and started to implement some improvements, but neither RRS or PPS have responded to suggestions for further improvement.

Corrections, since February 2011, when PFNZ submitted an extensive written proposal for change to the scheme to improve its outcomes, has now lately requested that a significant change be made to the FBU programme, which does not conform to the Intervention Logic agreed, to incorporate rehabilitative programmes, and that this be submitted to Corrections before 31st May 2011. Closure will be effective 30th June 2011 if Corrections is not satisfied by PFNZ's response.

PFNZ will continue to ask the Dept of Corrections to negotiate in accordance with the findings of the evaluation to improve the outcomes of the unit as measured by a wide range of Key Performance Indicators, such as those to be used for Private Prison operations and Whare Oranga Ake.

PFNZ requests the support of all Christians, and other thinking New Zealanders, to request the Minister of Corrections to reconsider her department's recent decisions regarding Prison Fellowship programmes and schemes, which are aimed at reducing recidivism in a novel and effective manner.
Write/email before 20 May to :
1. Hon J Collins MP, Minister of Corrections, Freepost, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
2. Chester Borrows MP, Freepost, Parliament Buildings, Wellington This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
3. Your local MP/Party Leader, Freepost, Parliament Buildings, Wellington This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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