"Our corrections officers deal with some of the country's most difficult and dangerous people. It is essential that these frontline staff have the tools to keep themselves as safe as possible," Ms Collins says.
"While major assaults are rare, low-level assaults on staff happen almost every day at New Zealand prisons. The new safety measures will ensure that corrections officers have the training and the equipment to manage dangerous situations and to prevent them from arising in the first place.
"The safety of staff and the public is my No 1 priority. I welcome these new measures as an important step in making our prisons safer."
The Department of Corrections announced today that 3500 custodial staff would receive an extra three days of training in tactical communications and skills to de-escalate volatile incidents.
Personal protective equipment such as stab resistant body armour, spit hoods, batons and pepper spray will be made available to staff in specific situations. Staff will receive additional training on the new equipment and clear guidelines for its use.
The decision to increase crisis training and protective equipment came after a Corrections study that analysed past assaults on staff and looked at what steps could be taken to make staff safer.
A working group, comprising Corrections senior management, custodial staff and union representatives from the Corrections Association of New Zealand (CANZ) and the Public Service Association (PSA) provided valuable input into the study.
