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Title / Demonstrate knowledge of prison legislation, policy, and procedures in a prison environment
Level / 3 / Credits / 3
Purpose / This unit standard is for people working as officers in a prison environment and covers knowledge of prison legislation, policy, and procedures.
People credited with this unit standard are able to demonstrate knowledge of:
current legislation pertaining to prisons;
prison policy and procedures;
the departmental and public sector codes of conduct; and
conditions of employment in prisons.
Classification / Offender Management > Prisoner Management
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard is intended for workplace assessment.
2References
Corrections Act 2004;
Corrections Regulations 2005;
Crimes Act 1961;
Crimes of Torture Act 1989;
Criminal Justice Act 1985;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990;
Parole Act 2002;
PS Operations Manual, Department of Corrections, available at
Privacy Act 1993;
Sentencing Act 2002;
and their subsequent amendments or replacements.
3Assessment range
aPerformance 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 the Department of Corrections Code of Conduct, other documented national policies and procedures, and prison-specific procedures.
bThe range statements in this unit standard must be applied according to prison- specific equipment, procedures, and processes.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Demonstrate knowledge of current legislation pertaining to prisons.
RangeChildren, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989, Corrections Act 2004, Corrections Regulations 2005, Crimes Act 1961, Crimes of Torture Act 1989, Employment Relations Act 2000, Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, Human Rights Act 1993, New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act 1993, Sentencing Act 2002, Smoke-free Environments Act 1990.
Evidence requirements
1.1Describe legislation pertaining to prisons.
1.2Describe legislation pertaining to prisons in terms of its relevance to the role of an officer working in a prison environment.
1.3Describe legislation pertaining to prisons in terms of its relevance to prisoners.
Outcome 2
Demonstrate knowledge of prison policy and procedures.
Evidence requirements
2.1Describe prison policy and procedures.
2.2Describe policy and procedures in terms of their application to, and use by, officers working in a prison environment.
2.3Describe policy and procedures in terms of their impact on prisoners.
Outcome 3
Demonstrate knowledge of the departmental and public sector codes of conduct.
Evidence requirements
3.1Describe professional ethics and the codes of conduct in terms of industry requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – codes of conduct principles, breaches of code, conduct outside of work, criminal or serious charges or actions, lawful instructions, respect for others, public comment;
evidence of three is required.
3.2Describe two examples of serious misconduct charges.
3.3Describe three examples of minor misconduct charges
Outcome 4
Demonstrate knowledge of conditions of employment in prisons.
Evidence requirements
4.1Describe employment conditions in terms of organisation requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – salary steps, leave, hours of work, uniform, disputes.
4.2Describe employee representation options in terms of Employment Relations Act 2000 requirements.
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 AssessmentRegistration / 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 / 20 May 2011 / 31 December 2019
Review / 5 / 15 September 2016 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0003
This CMR can be accessed at
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 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut