Prisoners will be in charge of cooking their own Christmas fare this year.
"Under the supervision of qualified instructors, prisoners get hands-on experience preparing the food served in prisons," said Leigh Marsh, Commissioner Custodial Services.
Christmas lunch in New Zealand prisons is the same year on year: a classic roast chicken with gravy, potatoes, peas and carrots. For vegetarians, a lasagne is offered.
The prisoners' evening meal is a choice between roast beef, relish salad sandwiches or tuna mayo salad sandwiches. Falafel and coleslaw, or egg mayo and salad are the options for vegetarians.
Inmates are also offered two Christmas mince pies as dessert.
The cost of providing these meals will be $11.10 per prisoner. This is slightly up on the normal daily per prisoner cost of food ($9.80), with $1.30 extra budgeted for the mince pies.
"This can be a tough time of year for prisoners and their families, so where possible, we enable opportunities for prisoners to share special moments with their families,” Marsh said.
While Christmas Day itself follows the ordinary prison daily schedule there are family days for prisoners' children to visit and engage in festive activities throughout December.
Giving back to the community
Inmates get a chance to give back to their community over the holiday season with more than 400 prisoner-made goods to be donated to families and children in need.
The items include quilts, knitted baby and children's clothing and soft toys.
These goods were made throughout the year as part of a partnership between Auckland Regional Women's Correctional Facility and the NZ Howard League volunteers.
"These sorts of programmes build a sense of purpose, pride, and confidence, which can be an important part of making positive change," said Marsh.
Staff at corrections are also getting into the giving spirit, volunteering their time at food banks and charities for families in need.
"Our incredible staff keep Corrections operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Even on Christmas Day, they will be working hard to keep the public safe, and I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their commitment," said Marsh.
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