Home Detention will be extended into the regions of New Zealand, Minister of Corrections, Matt Robson, announced today.

Currently Home Detention is only available in major urban areas, but as from this month, boundaries in these areas will be extended and Home Detention will also be made available in a number of smaller urban and some rural areas.

Serious violent offenders are not eligible for Home Detention. Only offenders who have been sentenced to two years imprisonment or less are eligible.

Non serious violent offenders serving sentences may also apply to be released on Home Detention as they approach their parole period.

"In these cases, Home Detention allows us to monitor offenders more closely as they come to the end of their prison sentence. I'm keen to look at ways of increasing post-release supervision so that we can be sure that former offenders integrate safely back into the community.

“Although Home Detention has only been operating in New Zealand since October last year we are already pleased with how well it’s working. Probation officers on the ground are doing a great job."

"Those less serious offenders who are eligible to serve their whole sentence at home can maintain normal family relationships, continue with their programmes and in some cases their employment. This is our best way of preventing re-offending.

“Home Detention is a positive alternative to imprisonment in some cases. It combines intensively supervised detention programmes while allowing offenders to lead a relatively 'normal' life albeit within the confines of their home. It helps to keep families together,” says Matt Robson.

Three hundred and two offenders have been placed on Home Detention since it started and there are 126 offenders currently under Home Detention supervision.

Home Detention is a unique initiative aimed at combining state of the art electronic surveillance and security with an intensive focus on casework and rehabilitation programmes to reduce re-offending.
EXPANSION OF HOME DETENTION BOUNDARIES

Boundaries defined by ‘x’ minutes means Home Detention is available in the area from a main centre within a driving time of that many minutes. For example, Home Detention is now available to offenders who live within 40 minutes driving time of Kaikohe but not available to offenders who live 50 minutes drive time from Kaikohe.

AREA CHANGE

Whangarei Extend boundary west to include Dargaville and south to Waipu
Kaikohe New - 40 minute boundary
Kaitaia New - 40 minute boundary (doesn’t extend north of the town
North Shore Extend to include Orewa and the Whangaparoa Peninsula
Waitakere Extend to include residential areas of Helensville and Parakai in the west, Greenhithe in the east and north to State Highway 16.
South Auckland Extend to Whitford and Maraetai in the east
Counties Manukau Extend to Tuakau, Waiuku, Meremere and Mercer
Hamilton Extend to 40 minute boundary to include Raglan, Te Awamutu, Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Te Kauwhata and Cambridge
Paeroa New - 60 minute boundary to include Thames, Waihi, Whangamata, Te Aroha and Morrinsville (excluding the Coromandel Peninsula)
Te Kuiti New - 60 minute boundary to include Taumarunui, Otorohanga, Maketu and Kawhia.
Tauranga Extend boundary to 60 minutes to cover entire service centre catchment area.
Whakatane New - 60 minute boundary to include Opotiki and Kawerau (does not include coastal area beyond Opotiki)
Rotorua Extend boundary to 40 minutes
Tokoroa New - 20 minute boundary
Taupo New - 20 minute boundary
Turangi New - 20 minute boundary
Putaruru New - 20 minute boundary
Matamata New - 20 minute boundary
Tirau New - 20 minute boundary
Hawkes Bay Extend boundary to 40 minutes
Gisborne Extend boundary to include Wairoa
Wanganui Extend boundary to 40 minutes
New Plymouth Extend boundary to 40 minutes
Hawera New - 20 minute boundary
Palmerston North Extend boundary to 60 minutes
Masterton New – 20 minute boundary
Wellington Extend boundary north to Peka Peka Road (between Waikanae and Otaki)
Nelson Extend boundary to 60 minutes to include Motueka
Blenheim New - 40 minute boundary that includes Picton
Greymouth New - 20 minute boundary (does not include south of Greymouth, so therefore does not include Hokitika)
Christchurch Extend boundary north to Ashley River (includes Rangiora and Kaiapoi, west to Darfield and from the Selwyn River to Lake Ellesmere.
Dunedin Extend boundary south to Brighton, north to Waitati to include Mosgiel, Port Chalmers and down the Otago Peninsula to Macandrew Bay.
Timaru New - boundary to include Ashburton and Oamaru
Balclutha New - boundary to 60 minutes, north to Milburn, west to Lawrence, Waitahuna and Clinton, south to Owaka and east to Kaitangata
Invercargill Extend boundary to 50 minutes to include Gore, Ohai/Nightcaps

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