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Title / Implement staff, visitor, and prisoner safety in a prison environment
Level / 3 / Credits / 4
Purpose / This unit standard is for people working as officers in a prison environment and covers the implementation of staff, visitor and prisoner safety.
People credited with this unit standard are able to:
- provide a safe visiting environment in a prison;
- maintain staff safety in a prison;
- maintain prisoner safety in a prison; and
- record and document staff, visitor, and prisoner safety in a prison.
Classification / Offender Management > Prison Safety and Security
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1 This unit standard is intended for workplace assessment.
2 Boundaries of unit standard
Visitors include all individuals on prison property other than staff and prisoners.
3 References
Corrections Act 2004;
Corrections Regulations 2005;
Crimes Act 1961;
Crimes of Torture Act 1989;
Criminal Justice Act 1985;
Department of Corrections Code of Conduct;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990;
Parole Act 2002;
Privacy Act 1993;
PS Operations Manual, Department of Corrections, available at http://www.corrections.govt.nz/policy-and-legislation/ps-operations-manual.html;
Sentencing Act 2002;
and their subsequent amendments or replacements.
4 Assessment range
a Performance of the outcomes of this unit standard must meet all the principles of behaviour and criteria as detailed in the Prison Services Operations Manual (PSOM), Department of Corrections (available at http://www.corrections.govt.nz/policy-and-legislation/ps-operations-manual.html), the Department of Corrections Code of Conduct, other documented national policies and procedures, and prison-specific procedures.
b The range statements in this unit standard must be applied according to prison- specific equipment, procedures, and processes.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Provide a safe visiting environment in a prison.
Evidence requirements
1.1 Make prison visitors aware of emergency, safety, and security requirements.
1.2 Restrict visitor access to defined and authorised areas.
1.3 Monitor and control prisoner visits.
Range may include but is not limited to – screening visitors, number of visitors, booth visits, access, non-contact visit area;
evidence of two is required.
1.4 Observe visitors and record visitor movements and contacts in the required format and document.
1.5 Conduct any searches of visitors in accordance with consent requirements and Corrections Act 2004 requirements.
Outcome 2
Maintain staff safety in a prison.
Evidence requirements
2.1 Follow staff safety procedures.
Range may include – staff numbers, staff location, prisoner situations, work equipment;
evidence of three is required.
2.2 Identify unsafe situations that impact on staff and implement actions to maintain established safety levels.
2.3 Use and maintain staff safety equipment.
Range may include – protective equipment, surveillance equipment, radios, alarms;
evidence of three is required.
2.4 Describe referral services for staff.
Range Employee Assistance Programme referral services, Post Incident Response Team (PIRT).
Outcome 3
Maintain prisoner safety in a prison.
Evidence requirements
3.1 Monitor prisoner environment to identify and remedy any potential and/or actual safety breaches.
Range may include – visitors, drugs, alcohol, illegal items, hazards.
3.2 Monitor prisoner behaviour to identify and remedy any potential and/or actual safety breaches.
Range remedies may include – protective segregation.
3.3 Forward prisoner intelligence information to appropriate personnel.
3.4 Identify prisoners who need referral to medical and other services are, notify the relevant service, and make available to the prisoner in the required timeframe.
3.5 Identify at risk prisoners and implement actions to minimise safety risk to themselves and others.
3.6 Use plant and equipment in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications.
Range may include but is not limited to – work tools, equipment, Health and Safety gear, hazardous materials, hobby gear;
evidence of two is required.
Outcome 4
Record and document staff, visitor, and prisoner safety in a prison.
Evidence requirements
4.1 Record information completely, concisely, accurately, and legibly.
Range may include but is not limited to – visitor books, incident reports, prisoner records, file notes, accident register, search books, visitor log-in and log-out;
evidence of three is required.
Replacement information / This unit standard, unit standard 14618, unit standard 14620, and unit standard 14624 were replaced by unit standard 29062.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for Assessment /Registration / 1 / 29 June 1999 / 30 June 2012
Revision / 2 / 3 April 2001 / 30 June 2012
Review / 3 / 25 July 2006 / 30 June 2012
Review / 4 / 17 September 2010 / 30 June 2012
Review / 5 / 20 May 2011 / 31 December 2019
Review / 6 / 15 September 2016 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0003
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
The Skills OrganisationSSB Code 100401 / Ó New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2017 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut