Prison officers under inquiry

One in 20 prison officers has been investigated for misconduct, including smuggling forbidden items into jails and having inappropriate relationships with prisoners.

Figures obtained by The Dominion Post under the Official Information Act show the Corrections Department stood down 752 officers in the past four years while investigations were carried out.

Those inquiries resulted in the dismissal of 61 officers between July 1, 2005 and June 30 this year. More than a third of those were sacked for involvement in contraband or inappropriate relationships.

Corrections Department spokesman Vincent Arbuckle said all staff were expected to be role models for law-abiding behaviour.

"The vast majority of our staff do an excellent job in what can be very difficult circumstances," he said.

"As with any large organisation there will always be a few who let the side down."

Sexual relationships between staff and prisoners were "very rare," he said. An inappropriate relationship included lending a prisoner money, developing a friendship with a prisoner or losing objectivity.

This month, The Dominion Post revealed that a Rimutaka Prison officer was being investigated after allegations of a liaison with a prisoner, including spending hours alone with him in a cell and smuggling him a mobile phone.

Thirteen officers were fired for taking an item of contraband into prison.

An item of contraband in a prison context might not be illegal or prohibited in a community setting, Mr Arbuckle said. "This could include a birthday cake, a cellphone, reflective sunglasses or cigarettes."

Many of the large number of employment investigations which equated to between 5 per cent and 6 per cent of officers employed during that period were "malicious or untrue allegations" that had no substance, he said.

"We investigate them to ensure the staff member is meeting the expectation placed on him or her and to protect the reputation of innocent staff.

"The overwhelming majority of staff fulfil their duties with integrity and commitment in an often pressured and challenging environment."

More than a quarter of dismissals were as a result of officers failing to follow policy or procedures, and 12 employees were sacked for breach of other obligations, such as absenteeism or conflict of interest. A further 10 officers lost their jobs for disrespecting the rights of a prisoner or staff member.

- By GREER McDONALD and KERRY WILLIAMSON, Dominion Post