New Zealand’s newest prison facility has officially opened.

Last week, a new high security facility opened at the Waikeria Prison, which is located around 170km south of Auckland.

The new complex sits adjacent to the site of the prison’s existing low security facility.

All up, the new facility consists of 28 buildings which have been constructed across 21 kilometres of land.

It is surrounded by a secure 1.7 km long perimeter fence.

The new facility will provide 500 high security beds for male prisoners and well as an additional 96 beds which are dedicated to mental health and addiction.

Features include:

• high-security accommodation for 500 men
• a dedicated mental health and addiction service within a new 96-bed facility
• an education and rehabilitation hub, with ten classrooms to support offenders with opportunities to commence on a better path away from crime
• a large kitchen and laundry area, a new waste and recycling centre, and more industry training spaces for prisoners
• a single entry point with a secure perimeter with walls and fences
• advanced biometric security
• two main visitation areas
• a modern medical centre
• covered walkways and recreational areas; and
• staff training rooms along with administration facilities, staff amenities and car-parking.

The facility’s opening represents the first stage of plans to increase the prison’s overall capacity.

A further expansion which will add 810 beds to the facility is expected to be completed in 2029.

Combined with the just opened new facility, this will see the overall capacity of Waikeria Prison expanded by around 1,400 beds. At that point, the prison will be able to accommodate around 1,800 inmates in total.

The opening of the new centre comes as the New Zealand Government has taken a stronger approach toward criminal activity and maintaining community safety.

New laws which came into effect last year placed limits on the extent to which judges can reduce prison sentences for mitigating factors such as guilty pleas, young ages or mental ability.

These longer prison sentences are expected to create additional capacity requirements on a system which is already facing severe constraints.

As at June 30, 2019 (the most recent data which is available on the World Prison Brief web site), New Zealand had an official prison capacity of 10,633 beds, with its prisons being 98 percent full at that time.

As of March 31 this year, data from the New Zealand Department of Corrections suggested that the country now has 10,680 prisoners.

Without action, the situation will deteriorate going forward.

Excluding the effect of the recent reforms, Ministry of Justice projections released last year suggested that the country’s prison population will increase to 11,317.

Add in the new policies, however, and the country’s Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell suggests that the prison population could see a peak of 13,900 over that time.

In response, the Government is acting to increase system capacity.

In its May budget, the New Zealand Cabinet provided funding to support the first phase of a redevelopment of the Christchurch Men’s Prison.

This will deliver 240 high security beds at the along with a new Health Centre and Intervention and Support Unit containing 52 beds.

It is the first part of a four-phase upgrade of the prison which is expected to deliver 1,020 new beds.

Focus on rehabilitation

In addition to security, a key part of the facility’s design is to focus on rehabilitation and positive outcomes for prisoners upon their release.

From a design perspective, this was part of the driving force behind the inclusion the mental health unit as well as the aforementioned education and rehabilitation hub and larger kitchens and laundry facilities as well as recreational areas.

In addition, 87 low-security prisoners took part in construction of the new facility through the New Zealand Government’s Release-To-Work programme.

The prisoners worked alongside contractors and acquired valuable skills and experience. In the past, some prisoners have gained employment with the relevant contractors upon their release.

The new facility has been delivered by the Cornerstone Infrastructure Partners (CIP) consortium. This involves the Public Infrastructure Partners Fund (managed by Morrison Co), CPB Contractors, Pacific Partnerships, Cushman & Wakefield and Honeywell.

The facility is being delivered under a public private partnership (PIP). Under this arrangement, CIP is responsible for design, construction and financing of the new facility and must maintain its facilities and assets for 25 years. (However, custodial operation of the facilities remains with the Department of Corrections.)

New Zealand Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell welcomed the facility’s opening.

Mitchell says that the facility will begin taking prisoners in coming months once final assurance checks are complete.

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