Hon Anne Tolley

Minister of Corrections

Prisoners to pay for TV access, education channels

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that prisoners are to pay for television access for the first time, under a new scheme which will prevent weapons and contraband being hidden in cells, and save taxpayer’s money.

Clear, plastic-cased televisions which enable officers to detect any hidden objects will be available for rent, while offender’s personal TVs are to be removed.

Prisoners will be charged $2 per week to rent the TVs, a substantial amount for offenders given that many of them earn between 20 and 60 cents an hour.

The scheme is expected to pay for itself within three years, with savings and any profits being reinvested in the development of two prison education channels, to support the delivery of literacy and numeracy, and rehabilitation to prisoners.

“We want safe, secure prisons and the new rental scheme, funded by prisoners, will help deliver this,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The clear, plastic-cased televisions will eliminate the current risk of weapons and contraband being stored in personal TVs. They will also remove any potential risk of prisoners attempting to access the internet, as the new devices will be completely secure.

“At the moment, Corrections incurs significant costs for security and contraband vetting of offender’s own TVs, and for their transport, and by ending this setup it is estimated that over $400,000 in taxpayer’s money will be saved annually.”

The scheme will get under way at Christchurch Men’s Prison in November, and will be rolled out to prisons across the country in the following twelve months.

If they pay for rental TVs, prisoners will only be able to view TV One, TV2, TV3, Prime and Māori Television and two education channels, which are in the early stages of development.

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