1. Job Description
Job Title: Corrections Officer
Group: Corrections Services
Reports to: Principal Corrections Officer
Location: Various
Date: April 2009
Organisational Overview
The Department of Corrections is a core part of New Zealand’s Justice sector and manages custodial and
community-based sentences imposed by the Courts.
Our vision is to create lasting change by breaking the cycle of re-offending.
Our goal is to reduce re-offending by 25% by 2017.
Our four priorities, within our Department’s Strategic Business Plan “Creating Lasting Change” are public
safety; reducing re-offending; better public value and leadership.
On any given day the Department manages more than 8,500 Offenders, and 40,000 offenders serving
sentences and orders in the community.
The Department employs approximately 8,000 people nationally and is structured into five groups,
Corrections Services, Service Development, Human Resources, Finance, Technology and Commercial,
Governance and Assurance.
More information on Corrections can be found on our website at www.corrections.govt.nz
Role Purpose
The Corrections Officer is a custodial position within Corrections Services, responsible for the safe,
secure and humane containment of Offenders within or outside the prison and for managing Offenders
consistent with the Corrections Services mission, to contribute to reducing re-offending.

2. Key Accountabilities
Key Accountability Areas:
Security
 Operate within the policies and procedures of the prison and unit
 Apply sentence compliance requirements
 Carry out the daily routine of the unit
 Identify potential risk, minimise likelihood and take remedial action
if necessary
 Activate procedures for critical incidents and emergencies
 Ensure Offender discipline is in line with each prison/unit’s code of
behaviour and legislative requirements
 Supervise Offender work groups
Supporting Offender Management
 Undertake sentence management with assigned Offenders
 Encourage and facilitate participation in rehabilitation programmes
 Support other staff in the application of sentence management
 Facilitate dispute resolution for Offender grievances
 Coach Offenders and apply pro-social modelling behaviours and
active management
 Carry out formal “At Risk” & “Immediate Needs” assessments as
well as induction interviews
Compliance
 Comply with the Policy and Procedures Manual, Sentence
Management Manual and legislative requirements
 Contribute to the establishment of an environment that supports
unit quality control
Health and Safety
 Identify and report on health and safety hazards, work related
injuries and take corrective action if necessary
 Support the application of the Heath and Safety plan
 Comply with Occupational Health and Safety legislation
 Comply with Emergency Response Procedures
 Provide first aid & basic life support
 Familiarise with hazards identified in hazard register and take
necessary precautions
 Contribute to and comply with hazard management plan
Administration
 Prepare reports and complete required documentation in
accordance with PPM or administration procedures
 Liaise with other units, related agencies and individuals to establish
and maintain unit and overall prison effectiveness
 Identify and report on suggested improvements on work methods
to achieve unit’s purpose

3. Key Accountability Areas:
Personal Development
 Ensure skill and knowledge relevant to the criminal justice system
is maintained and up to date
 Understand the Corrections Services mission and goals, and
actively work to achieve them, behaving with the highest levels of
professionalism and integrity towards Offenders, colleagues and
the community
 Manage and maintain personal wellness
 Complete relevant NZQA Offender Management qualifications
Teamwork
 Act as a positive role model for staff and Offenders
 Participate in team activities to contribute to the achievement of
team goals
 Maintain team communications processes to ensure information is
effectively communicated to all unit staff and/or Offenders
 Contributes to the budget and planning process
Health and Safety
Help maintain a safe working environment within Corrections by:
 reporting any hazards, and any accidents or near misses that
 occur
 adhering to departmental safety standards and processes
 participating in health and safety programmes as required,
 including own rehabilitation if a work injury is sustained.
Relationships
Direct Reports: Non
Key Working Relationships:
Internal:
 All Corrections Services, Regional and National Office Staff where appropriate
External:
 Offenders and Offender families, Police, Ministry of Justice and Department of
Courts, Outside agencies and persons as appropriate.

4. Person Specification
To be successful in this position you will need:
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Technical Competencies
 Demonstrate the ability to utilise the relevant functions of the Department’s IT system including
IOMS
 Appropriate level of computer literacy as a basic requirement to fulfil the above function
 Knowledge of prison policy and procedure and legislative requirements; and to apply them
practically
 Demonstrates understanding of compliance requirements

5. Competencies
COMPETENCY DESCRIPTION
Offender Management
Provides effective support to Offenders to achieve their sentence plan objectives and not
to re-offend:
 Takes every opportunity to actively manage Offenders through providing
positive feedback, collaborative problem solving, motivational enhancement and
pro-social modelling
 Observes and monitors Offender behaviour and environment to identify
potential/ actual safety breaches, and takes appropriate action
 Co-ordinates and supervises all Offender activity in accordance with policy,
procedures and legislative requirements
Safety and Security
Works to ensure a safe, secure and humane environment within a dynamic security
context:
 Operates within the established safety and security policies and procedures and
legislative requirements at all times
 Identifies unsafe situations and implements immediate action to maintain safety
and security standards
 Identifies, reports and records all workplace hazards and breaches (potential or
actual) of security in accordance with policy and procedures and legislative
requirements
Communication
Communicates well with people at all levels:
 Communicates appropriately to a diverse group including Offenders and their
whanau and friends; co-workers, managers and the wider community
 Produces logical, sequential reports that are accurate and concise
 Communicates confidently and clearly
 Enters data correctly into the workplace computer
Teamwork
Works as part of a team encouraging co-operation and contributing to the achievement
of team goals:
 Establishes and maintains open, honest and co-operative relationships with
affected parties at all levels within the workplace
 Contributes appropriately to the performance of routine tasks
 Contributes effectively to team discussions and decision-making
Self-management
Manage themselves to be positive and professional at work:
 Performs all duties with a positive and professional attitude
 Is well dressed, groomed, with good personal hygiene
 Maintains a professional manner when confronted with hostile or
uncooperative interactions and demanding situations

6. Health
Manages personal wellness and fitness for duty:
 Maintains adequate level of personal fitness to carry out assigned duties
 Has a wellness strategy to maintain personal health
Supports organisational values
Supports the values of the Corrections Services and Department of Corrections:
 Acts with honesty and integrity
 Respects others and is responsive to the needs of others
 Takes responsibility for own actions
 Understands, supports and practises EEO principles and policy
 Gives effect to new departmental initiatives and responds constructively to
change
Cultural Responsiveness
 Demonstrates an awareness and understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and related
departmental policy
 Promotes and supports departmental cultural initiatives that meet the needs of
Offenders, staff and the Community/Iwi
 Attains appropriate NZQA Cultural Unit Standards (once developed and registered)
 Maintains and supports effective working relationships with Tangatawhenua through
established networks
 Contributes to and maintains a culturally safe working environment