503 (2026). Tamatha Paul to the Minister of Corrections

503 (2026). Tamatha Paul to the Minister of Corrections: Why has the women’s prison population increased at a faster rate than other cohorts?

Hon Mark Mitchell: Corrections manages people at the direction of the courts and the New Zealand Parole Board and does not determine who is in prison and who is in the community. However, I am advised that generally the impact of policy changes such as the increased response to retail crime, can often be first notable in the women’s prison population. The reasons for this are complex and can include factors such as a shorter length of time between charge and sentencing for women compared to men. I am further advised that women currently make up 7 percent of the total prison population, and changes in the smaller women’s prison population may be felt more greatly compared to the larger men’s prison population.