Auckland Prison (Paremoremo) useful information

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Auckland Prison (Paremoremo) useful information

Contact Details

Address:

Physical address:
Paremoremo Road
Paremoremo
Auckland 0632

To locate on google maps click here

Postal address:
Private Bag 50124
Albany, North Shore
Auckland 0752

Phone:  (09) 442 6600

Email

You are able to email a person located at Auckland Prison.  The email address is eprisonerauckland@corrections.govt.nz

In the subject line type in the person’s full name and their Person Record Number (PRN) if you have this. same number is used each time a person goes to prison.

All emails are read prior to being given to the person.  There are strict rules on language and content i.e. no swear words, no gang related content.  Any email that does not meet the criteria will not be given to the person inside.  A warning will also be sent to you that states if they find further inappropriate content on other emails from you then you will no longer be allowed to send emails.

Please note the person inside cannot email you back.

Mailing Address

To write to someone in Auckland Prison, address the envelope as per below.

Prisoner’s Name, PRN
Private Bag 50124
Albany, North Shore
Auckland 0752

Visits

People inside Auckland Prison are entitled to:

1 x 2 hour visit with up to 3 adults (Adult Visits).

1 x 2 hour visit with up to 3 adults and up to 5 children (Family Visits).

Visits to Auckland prison are only on the weekend from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm. Visits may sometimes be organised during the week.  If you need to arrange this (i.e. travelling from out of town) please talk to the staff.  If you cannot travel to Auckland Prison, a video link may be arranged if approved by staff where you can attend a Corrections centre (i.e. probation centre) in your area.

The Wahi Patai (visitor’s centre) is open from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. To book a visit call 0800 256 566
Please note that bookings for weekend visits must be made by 4 pm on the Wednesday before.

When visiting, visitors must have a visit time booked with the prison and a letter from the prison confirming this time. Visitors will be asked by staff to produce a form of identification i.e. passport, birth certificate.

Any children or young person under 18 years of age must be with an approved adult visitor.  You will need to show your Child Visitor Approval Notification letter when you sign in for the visit.

When visiting you must to be at Auckland Prison 30 minutes before hand to make sure you can get a visit. You will not be allowed a visit if you arrive too late to complete screening.

When you arrive at the prison, you need to come through the boom gate (tell the person through the speaker system at the gate that you are here for a visit. They may ask you what unit the person is in.)  When through the gate drive into the visitors car park on the right side of the road.  The Wahi Patai (visitors centre) is at the end of the car park (opposite end to the boom gate).

On arrival you check in at the reception counter in the Wahi Patai and will be given a key to lock your personal belongings in a small locker. Once you have locked your items in the locker you return the key to the counter and they will give you a plastic tag.  On leaving after the visit, you swap the plastic tag back for your key to the locker. Note the locker isn’t big so leave handbag etc in the car.

When you attend the first time you will have your photo taken and will be asked to provide a finger print.  These are used when you go through the security screening before you enter the prison visit centre.

Auckland Prison has a small cafe with hot drinks, and a small variety of food i.e. sandwiches, muffins which you can buy while you wait. Prices are reasonable.

After registering at the Wahi Patai, you will wait till all are called to go to the Kuhu Mai (Gatehouse). This is where screening takes place.  Like at an airport you remove your shoes and go through a screening booth.  Once inside and the glass door is shut you need to follow the prompts and scan your finger.  When it recognises you it will open the door on the other side.  An officer will then scan you with a wand.

There is a manea stone on the left hand side before you enter the screening booth.  There is a sign above the manea stone what says that the stone has healing properties and takes the negative energy into the mauri stone which is buried under the prison. People are encouraged to touch the manea.  You will however need to do this before you enter the screening booth as you do not come back out this way after the visit.

When all people are scanned, you are led across to the Visits centre where you will wait for a short time before being allowed into the visiting area.

As with all prisons there are rules what you can or cannot bring into the prison site.

  • No cigarettes or smoking
  • No drugs
  • No alcohol
  • No weapons
  • No dogs
  • No bags
  • No cell phones
  • No food or drink

In addition, Auckland prison does not allow people to wear any jewellery apart from a wedding ring.  It is best to leave these in your car or your locker so that you are not stopped at the screening booth.

Note: All cars including possessions and visitors entering the prison grounds for visits can be searched at any time.

Clothing

Clothing and other requested items can be dropped in to the Auckland Prison Wahi Patai when you visit for a person inside.  The clothing and items must be accompanied by a Property Form that is signed off by a Prison manager or PCO.  These will not be accepted if you do not have a Property Form. .

If you do not live in Auckland or are unable to drop items into the receiving office, you can courier or post the items to Auckland Prison.

Money

Prisoners are able to receive money into their trust account to buy items such as soap, toothpaste and other canteen supplies. The Trust account is limited to $200 and prisoners are only allowed to spend $70 per week on supplies.

Money can be deposited into the prison trust account by electronic transfer online or paid by card at reception desk when you sign in for a visit.

Electronic Transfer 

The trust bank account details are:  03-1322-0016982-00

You will need to type in the prisoners PRN and name into the reference section.

Money needs to be deposited by Wednesday for the following week’s canteen.

Phone calls

The person in prison can request approval for a set number of phone numbers that they can ring. This may take several weeks to set up. All prisoners are allowed free 10 minute calls to NZ numbers, and also overseas (up to 30 minutes per week).  Note that it can be difficult for the person to set up regular times they can phone you. Lock up hours may change due to various reasons. There may also be a queue for the phone.

Other Items

People held in Auckland Prison may also be allowed to have other items.  These have to be requested by the prisoner on a Property Form signed off by a prison manager or PCO.  Items may include:

  • a radio/CD or tape player
  •  flask
  • a fan
  • a limited number of books and magazines
  • religious material

Corrections encourages people to study as this reduces the likelihood of someone coming back to prison.  Before study can commence the prisoner needs to fill out a property form and have the study material approved before it can be sent to or delivered to Auckland Prison.

Organisations that can support you in Auckland

Te Pa (used to be called PARS) provides practical assistance to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their whanau in Auckland

Pillars (Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou) is a charity that actively supports the tamariki and whānau of people in prison or those serving a community-based sentence.

There are other New Zealand wide organisations that may also be able to provide support.  Click here to be taken to the New Zealand Support Organisations page.

Life Inside

Auckland Prison – Youtube 

Auckland Prison – an inmates view from the Inside

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A holiday….

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Christmas has come and gone and everyone is talking about going away. So when did you last have a holiday? Or do you feel like I did that I couldn’t have one.  I couldn’t have one because the person I loved was in a place where they were not allowed to take a holiday to some exotic island.  How could I go and do something that was enjoyable when they are suffering?

It might also mean that I miss out on visiting that person. I mean, in their limited world, I had to make sure I was there to visit right?  It wouldn’t be fair otherwise right?

I had the opportunity to have a holiday at one time.  With all those thoughts above going through my head, I felt guilty the whole time.  I didn’t enjoy it one bit.

It took something I read to challenge me about what I was choosing to put myself through.  I hadn’t thought I was choosing.  I was the one landed in this place by the other person and their behaviour that put them in prison.  That was no choice!

And no, it wasn’t a choice you or I had.  What I didn’t take on board  through all this was that although I didn’t have a choice in living with someone in prison, I actually did have a choice in how I wanted to continue to live.

I could actually choose what I did and did not do each day.  I could choose to deny myself pleasures because of guilt.  Or I could reframe it and understand that I needed to especially need to treat myself due to all the additional stress I was under to stay well.   I could stay at home and not take a holiday, or I could say, you know.. here is an opportunity to renew my own energy and strength so I can be more present for the person inside.

So, I challenge you.. when is your next holiday.  It could be just staying with friends or family  for a night to get away from it all, or an overseas trip.

Take a break!  You deserve it!

 

I don’t know what to write…

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Receiving letters or email where possible is a highlight for most people in prison. We think about people being locked up but the reality is that the silence can be deafening, just as the song says.  Most prisoners are locked up in their cells for the majority of the day. Sometimes for my person, they have been locked up for  23 out of 24 hours due to staff shortages.  This can break some people who can become lost in their own mind and suffer  mental health issues as a result.

Where one is in a single cell or even shared cells, receiving a letter can be the thing that keeps the person going.  It can remind them that they are of value in the outside world. However it may not be just as easy as writing a few words on a page.

I can remember the first letters I wrote when my person went inside.  I was so angry at them.  How could they do this to themselves, but also to me, to others that were important to their lives.  It was really hard to sit down and write something that might be constructive and be encouraging that they might know that they were loved, but how much I hated the situation.  When I now feel angry about something and am writing to my person, I am intentional to write only a couple of sentences and say I am angry.  It’s no point writing a whole page, not for you or them.  Nothing is going to change the situation right now. It is however important to say what is the ‘elephant in the room’ and get it out there. Having raised it in an email briefly can help you  to talk more about it on a visit if needed.  Just sometimes going into too much detail in an email or letter isn’t the most effective way to deal with something.

Firstly I ask my person what they would like me to write about.  This is different for everyone, however most people I have spoken to say that people just want to know what is happening.  They want to be reminded of normal life on the outside – especially things that are going well.  When things are not going so well, it can add more stress as they cannot do anything to help.  It doesn’t mean to say don’t tell them, but perhaps word it in a way that it is a struggle and you are working through it.

I now structure my email into four sections.  I found when I first started writing that it was really draining as I felt emotionally exhausted thinking about what I was writing.  Memories came up, both good and bad.  The reality of the situation also was overwhelming at times.  I now keep to five sections that we have been found to be useful for my person. It also gave me a template and stopped my tears each time I wrote too.

Section 1: Encouragement and love

For my person I always start my letters or emails saying I love them and some words to the effect they are missed.  They tell me that it is important for them to know they are still a person, that they have been heard and someone is batting for them. No matter how angry I feel, I know how important this is for them to hear this. Being angry is my issue, not theirs – yes even if their behaviour caused bad things to happen to me, being angry is my problem. This doesn’t mean I don’t address their behaviour and let it go.  I just don’t start out every email by not letting them forget it.

I also try to encourage them to continue with some positive behaviour or actions they have told me they are trying. If there is only a short time left of the lag, I might remind them of that and what activities we have planned for when they get out.

Section 2: Family updates.

I talk about general family things, and anything interesting I might be doing.  Some people have asked if that would make it worse for the person as they would feel they are being left out.  Everyone is different as mentioned above and important for you to ask your person.  Take note though that if this is the first time a person is inside, they may not yet know what they want, so check in with them after a few letters/emails and see if what you have written is helpful.

Section 3. An inspirational story or wise sayings

My person states they really enjoy this, and I don’t know if this is also more beneficial for them or me.  My person says reading these stories and quotes inspires them to be better.  They have plenty of time to think about the messages in these stories and quotes and how they could apply it to their lives.  They also share them with others in their unit. I now have a list of sites on the intranet where I can easily find inspirational stories and quotes and put one into each email.

Section 4: Logic puzzles or jokes

Keeping ones brain active can be challenging in a prison where there is little decision making or choice.  My person enjoys doing logic puzzles and working out riddles and jokes. Putting one of these in each email is an opportunity for them to use brain cells that might otherwise be dormant during their time in prison. It gives them something to also talk to others about. Even if they are poor dad jokes!

Just like with the stories, I have created a list of websites that have logic puzzles, riddles and jokes in them so I can just pull out one and put it in the email.  Do remember that on some sites, jokes may often contain bad language.  Emails can be stopped if there is bad language in them.  If you want your emails to get through, do read them jokes, (and also stories – I did have one story I missed the swear word and I got the advice email back from Corrections facility giving me a warning!)

Section 5: Saying goodbye

My person says that reading they are loved is the most important thing in every email.  Saying goodbye is a chance for you to say you love them again.

Finally  people ask me often should they write?  That is really up to you.  In the first year I pushed myself to write everyday and felt guilty if I didn’t.  It took its toll in both the time to do this, but also other relationships in my life.  I found I couldn’t keep this up, and also started to see email writing a burden.  I had to question why I was doing this.

I now write 2 – 3 times per week and my person is happy with this.  I also feel that this amount is sustainable and allows me to continue living. Think about not only what the person inside may need, but what you also need.

Happy writing!