Review of offenders in motels

The Department of Corrections says it’s reviewing the use of motels as emergency accommodation for high-risk offenders.

The announcement comes after Stuff on Friday revealed convicted child sex offender Ronald Jeffries, 65, was placed in a motel in the lower North Island by the probation service after residents flagged concerns about his community-based accommodation. There are fears Jeffries, who was subject to a 10-year extended supervision order after a lifetime of sexual offending, may have abused children at the motel. He was arrested last month for alleged breaches of the order and has been recalled to prison. Police have refused to say if they are investigating.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the case appears to be a ‘‘huge oversight’’ and has asked officials to get to the bottom of what went wrong.

Corrections’ National Commissioner Rachel Leota said yesterday, in a written response to questions from Stuff, that the department launched a review into the use of motels as emergency accommodation for highrisk offenders last month.

As part of the review, a team met regularly to look at what had been done to find more ‘‘suitable and sustainable housing options for these offenders’’.

There were 19 offenders living in motels across the country, a 30 per cent reduction on a fortnight ago, Leota said. ‘‘We aim to bring this number to zero in the coming weeks through a range of current initiatives we have under way to increase emergency housing options.’’

The initiatives included using units at the retired staff training facilities on the grounds of Rimutaka Prison, north of Wellington, increasing housing on land at Christchurch Men’s Prison, and working with Housing NZ to provide four, three-bedroom houses in Auckland for supervised living.

Jeffries appeared in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday on charges relating to four breaches of his extended supervision order. He limped into the dock supported by crutches and said he had not committed a crime and therefore could not make a plea. The judge remanded him in custody to appear again in the court next month.

Leota said she was unable to comment further about Jeffries’ case as the matter was ‘‘subject to investigation, prosecution and review’’.

However, the use of motels had been approved in ‘‘emergency situations for a very small number of offenders as a last resort, where no other suitable options can be secured’’, she said. ‘‘We do everything we can to source alternative options first. The reality is that without emergency accommodation in a motel, these offenders would be homeless, which would present an unacceptable safety risk to communities.’’

Leota said it was ‘‘particularly challenging’’ to find accommodation for child sex offenders because of ‘‘community opposition’’.

There were 225 offenders in the community subject to Extended Supervision Orders, Leota said.

Extended supervision orders are for the worst sex offenders and mean the person can be closely monitored in the community.

Jeffries previously complained being subject to such an order was like ‘‘enslavement’’ and ‘‘torture’’.

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni and ministry staff have blamed the Department of Corrections for placing Jeffries in the motel.