Thank you to everyone who has supported this petition so far. Your voices are helping bring attention to important issues involving prison management, family wellbeing, and accountability.
Over the last 24 hours, we have reviewed further publicly available information relating to the current Corrections Bill, previous oversight findings, and the management of high-risk prisoners.
Based on that review, there are legitimate reasons for public concern and closer scrutiny.
The Chief Ombudsman has previously raised serious concerns regarding conditions within PERU and the cumulative impact of those conditions on prisoners. Those findings deserve continued public attention.
At the same time, the current Corrections Bill appears to propose new or expanded legal frameworks for managing prisoners considered to present extreme risk, along with other operational powers.
This makes it important for Parliament and the public to ask clear questions:
• Will the proposed changes improve safety while protecting basic rights?
• What safeguards and independent review mechanisms will apply?
• How will prolonged restrictive management be monitored?
• What impact could these settings have on rehabilitation outcomes?
• How are family and child contact needs being considered?
• What transparency exists around classification and placement decisions?
These are reasonable questions in any democratic society.
This petition is not about excusing offending behaviour. It is about ensuring prison management remains lawful, proportionate, evidence-based, and focused on long-term community safety.
Families and children are often affected by prison policies in ways that receive little public attention. Where contact is reduced or uncertainty is prolonged, the consequences can extend well beyond prison walls.
We continue to call for:
• Independent oversight of extreme management regimes
• Full scrutiny of the Corrections Bill
• Transparent and fair review processes
• Protection of meaningful family contact where appropriate
• Rehabilitation-focused policy that supports safer communities
Please continue sharing the petition. Public scrutiny matters, and respectful community voices can help improve policy outcomes.
Thank you for your support.