Country first: Detector dogs sniffing out new psychoactive substances in prisons
NZ Herald 9 October 2018
The Department of Corrections annual report paints a picture of the changing prison population with the prison muster of more than 10,000 experiencing a significant growth in the numbers of women incarcerated.
Ninety-one per cent of prisoners have a lifetime diagnosis of mental health or substance abuse disorders, according to the report.
More than 75 per cent of prisoners have current or prior convictions for violence.
About a third of the prison population is affiliated with gangs, of those about 70 per cent identify as Māori.
About 30,000 people are on community-based sentences and orders – nearly three times the number of the prison population.
Every year about 16,000 people are released from prison, most of whom arrange their own accommodation.
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