Prisoners not given chance of 40 hours' work

Inmates at Ngawha Prison in Northland are not on the list to work without pay under a new plan to create more "working prisons" in New Zealand.

Prime Minister John Key announced in his first speech to Parliament for the year that the number of prisons with fulltime work programmes would be expanded as part of a drive to cut reoffending.

Up to 1400 inmates will be working 40 hours a week - without pay - by the end of this year.

However, a spokesman from the ministers office confirmed Ngawha - or the Northland Regional Corrections Facility as it is officially known - was not on the list at this stage.

He said progress would be monitored at the three prisons where it was being trialled before it was introduced to others.

Inmates at Rolleston Prison have already begun 40-hour weeks in response to a demand for labour for the rebuild of Christchurch.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley confirmed this initiative would be extended to all prisoners at Rolleston, and also to North Island prisons Tongariro-Rangipo and Auckland Women's Corrections Facility.

"It gives inmates a structured day, helps with behaviour and means you're not institutionalising them too much before they go back out into the community," said Mrs Tolley.

She said the plan would require significant infrastructure upgrades but all prisoners at the three jails were expected to be working fulltime by the end of this year.

The minister said one of inmates' biggest problems was boredom and many would relish the chance to work - a point that was backed by prison reformers.

Green Party corrections spokesman David Clendon said he supported the initiative in principle, but said Corrections would have to take care not to undermine the private sector.