Prisoners plant
A pilot programme will see selected prisoners training and working in the forestry sector as part of the One Billion Trees Programme, forestry minister Shane Jones and corrections minister Kelvin Davis announced. The pilot — jointly developed by Te Uru Ra¯kau and the Department of Corrections — will involve up to 15 prisoners from the Northland Regional Corrections Facility employed to plant seedlings as part of the 2019 season. They will also work towards an NCEA Level 2 Qualification as part of the programme. The pilot will be located in Northland, where Crown Forestry joint ventures require planters for the upcoming season. Mr Davis said this pilot expands on the successful release-to-work programme already in place in New Zealand prisons.