Covid’s justice effect

Those behind bars getting close to release will be keen to see the back of the harsh restrictions of lockdown. Meanwhile, those serving community work have a reason to be thankful for the pandemic – their sentences may be cut.

Much of justice system ground to a halt under alert levels 4 and 3, but a sense of normality is set to return under level 2.

Corrections national commissioner Rachel Leota said the plan was to do as much as possible while keeping people safe. But there were challenges when it came to community work.

One of the lightest sentences someone can get, community work involves completing a number of hours doing tasks as varied as helping scrub graffiti from walls, helping at a marae or volunteering for groups such as the Salvation Army.

Leota said community work could only happen if physical distancing guidelines from the Healthministry could be applied.

However, offenders unable to do community work could have their hours reduced because of a clause in the Sentencing Act. An offender could have up to 48 hours of their sentence remitted during an epidemic.

Further coronavirus-created delays to community work might mean other measures could be taken, Leota said.

Offenders could be offered transport to get to community work and those who did not comply with their sentences could end up in court.

Prisons were also getting closer to nor

Offenders unable to do community work could have their hours reduced because of a clause in the Sentencing Act.

mality, with visits starting again under level 2. The number of people visiting inmates was being capped to ensure physical distancing, and they would have to wear face masks, Leota said.

Staff would also continue wearing masks when having contact with inmates.

All people entering would be subject to temperature scans.

Lawyers would be able to get in to see inmates or attend Parole Board hearings, but Corrections was encouraging the use of phones or audio-visual links where possible, Leota said.

Inmates would begin to do reintegration activities such as guided release and working outside the wire, while faceto-face rehabilitation programmes would restart.

Inmates would also be able to restart education activities and spend more time out of their cells, if they stayed apart.

Those heading into custody would be kept away from the main prison population for 14 days.

Community Corrections staff – those who work preparing pre-sentence reports and monitoring people on sentences outside prison – would work away from offices as much as possible, Leota said.