15067 (2025). Rawiri Waititi to the Minister of Corrections

15067 (2025). Rawiri Waititi to the Minister of Corrections: Was Dean Wickliffe assessed, if any, by a mental health professional upon re-entry into custody on or after 5 March 2025; if so, what was the outcome of that assessment?

Hon Mark Mitchell: I am advised that Corrections acknowledges the importance of working with people from their arrival into prison to ensure their needs are addressed and their rehabilitation and reintegration is supported. Case Managers work directly with people in prison to assess their needs and identify specific areas of focus and ensure their time in prison is used to their benefit. Corrections aims to allocate a Case Manager to people within ten working days of their arrival into prison. I am further advised that every person entering prison has their health needs assessed when they arrive, and ongoing care and treatment is given if required. I am advised that Corrections has well-established, robust processes in place for caring for people who voluntarily refuse food. This support can include: • providing care from registered nurses and other medical staff; • ensuring people can maintain ongoing contact through visits and phone calls with whānau where safe and practicable to do so, while also respecting their requests should they not wish to have contact; • offering support from kaiwhakamana, the prison chaplain, and other cultural and spiritual support people; • facilitating contact with other support people as requested and arranging visits where it is safe and practicable to do so; • accommodating people in the Intervention and Support Unit (ISU) where appropriate to provide enhanced oversight of their care. I have been assured that this support was offered to Dean Wickliffe. As this relates to Dean Wickliffe’s personal information, I do not consider it in the public interest to provide a comprehensive overview of the support and treatment that Dean Wickliffe received. This is also my response to WPQ 15068 (2025) and WPQ 15071 (2025).