November 08, 2022
Prisons resuming face to face visits
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis hopes almost all prisons will be able to resume face-to-face visits before the end of the year.
All 18 adult prisons restricted visits in August last year because of staff shortages, and those restrictions are still in place at eight sites.
The Chief Human Rights Commissioner says denying visits has had a grave toll on the mental health of prisoners and their whānau.
Mr Davis says it has been hard to replace staff during the Covid pandemic.
“What we said would happen when it was safe for visits to resume they would be. I’m hopeful by the end of the year all but two prisons will resume face-to-face visits,” he says.
Lawyers are also complaining that restricted access to their clients is hampering their ability to do their jobs properly.