department of corrections

Revealed: Suicide attempts and serious self-harm surging in NZ’s prisons

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Imprisoned New Zealanders are facing an escalation in life-threatening self-harm attempts as the Department of Corrections grapples with a mental health epidemic, according to documents obtained through the Official Information Act. Peter McKenzie reports. This story discusses depression, self-harm, suicide and traumatic events.  Prison isn’t pleasant. It is a place of restraints and restrictions where … Read more

The Covid-19 crisis is an opportunity to reform our prisons

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Covid-19 has demonstrated what resolute government leadership can achieve to address a serious problem. Now let’s do the same to improve our justice system, writes former Parole Board member Rhonda Pritchard. I’ve spent time in every prison in New Zealand. It was part of my job in a previous career, making repeated visits to each … Read more

Everything you ever wanted to know about slushies but were afraid to ask

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Ah, the slushy – it’s the semi-frozen sugary beverage that has the nation talking. But what even is a slushy, and is Simon Bridges’ beef with them warranted? Alice Neville investigates. Despite the rapidly plummeting temperatures that autumn has brought with it (Auckland this morning was reminiscent of the Battle of Winterfell, minus all the deaths … Read more