Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility stands as a notable establishment in the law enforcement sector. This high-security men’s prison, managed by Serco, is based in Wiri, Auckland, and has been the recipient of significant attention for internationally low recidivism rates. It’s noteworthy that the reoffending rates at South Auckland prison is strikingly low at just 13.6 percent in the two years following inmate release, compared to the 34 percent found in state-run prisons.
The disparity in recidivism rates has received extensive speculation with many attributing the difference to the nature of the inmates at Auckland South, who are often long-term, serious offenders. Over the past four years, Serco received bonus payments amounting to a considerable $6 million due to its extraordinary performance. Rewarding based on such performance metrics has elicited global intrigue, with many seeking ways to combat persistent high recidivism levels.
On a global scale, recidivism rates generally stand somewhere between 30 and 40 percent, albeit with variances in counting methods or total lack thereof in certain nations. Interestingly, even Norway, renowned for its low reoffending rates, still reports figures around 20 percent. That number is approximately 50 percent higher than that maintained by Serco’s Auckland South Corrections Facility.
The New Zealand’s Department of Corrections has queried why their figures appear higher than Serco’s, hinting at the possibility of the inclusion of remand and maximum-security prisoners in their count, who are not part of the comparison group when against Serco’s records. The department also ruled out the need for further comparisons based on Serco’s lower inmate count, stating that this discrepancy in numbers was mainly due to the differing demographics of the respective prisons.
Notably, a considerable number of the prisoners under Serco’s care would have already undergone treatment programs within public prison service before transferring to Auckland South Corrections Facility (ASCF). This fact could potentially have contributed to their reduced reoffending rates. The department refrains from directly contrasting its rehabilitation services with those of Serco, as indicated in a response to an Official Information Act inquiry.
The Department of Corrections has underscored that direct comparisons of recidivism rates between Serco and its own performance may mislead, as per the assertions made by research manager Bronwyn Morrison. Nonetheless, Serco’s achievements since 2021, signified by its substantial rewards, might serve to reignite global focus on their methods practices.
Despite the notable enthusiasm over Serco’s progress, tracing any official investigation related to this is surprisingly challenging. Notably, Serco has failed to secure the bonus twice since signing the public-private contract in 2012, specifically between the years 2018 and 2020.
Failure or success, the contract does not have a provision for review or renegotiation in its 25-year term. Despite this, the years 2020-21 saw an improvement as Serco managed to secure the maximum annual bonus of $1.5 million, even while facing penalties due to violations occasionally.
Both Serco and public prison services have seen a decline in recidivism, with the former exhibiting a more rapid decline that has reached a reduction by half since 2017’s figure of 26 percent. However, the rates among M?ori inmates, despite declining, still remains above the average.
Contrarily, despite huge strides in managing reoffending, the prison population continues to rise, with a substantial rise of 2000 inmates in the last three years, increasing the total to around 10,000. The government identifies effective rehabilitation and reducing reoffending as major priorities, stressing their importance in the prison sector.
Rehabiliary services at Auckland South faced criticisms when an official inspection in 2022 found them to be insufficient. Some issues highlighted include long waiting lists for some rehabilitation programs and the need for prisoners to be transferred to other facilities to access specific programs.
Despite the challenges, there have been improvements since 2017, albeit the demand still exceeds supply. Navigating the intricacies of matching willing prisoners on a waitlist, according to their required type of rehabilitation and priority, is a difficult task the department claims to undertake with utmost effort.
Prison authorities offer nearly 90 programs and activities in prisons. The responses levels vary between short-term and long-term prisoners, with about half of the short-term prisoners responding and less than half of the long-term prisoners.
There was a statement from the Department claiming that the demographic of the prison contributes to the low recidivism rate at Serco’s facility. However, elsewhere it has been stated that the comparison takes into account similar prisoners between the two systems.
It’s worth noting that official studies found that transitioning prisoners could disrupt rehabilitation efforts by interrupting services. Interestingly, the staff turnover rates at Auckland South were significantly less compared to other prisons, aside from Rolleston.
Cultural programs targeted at reestablishing bonds between inmates and their culture and wh?nau, such as P?whakamua which was started by a former offender, are listed as key by Serco. The primary goal for Serco is to operate a facility that ensures security and enables rehabilitation.