The lunch, prepared by prisoners learning hospitality skills through employment in prison kitchens, will consist of chicken and vegetables. Cold meat and salads will be served for dinner.
Prisoners will also get two mini fruit mince pies each to mark the day.
''Our Christmas menu will feed up to 10,000 prisoners in our care. We're able to mark the special day with a few small changes to our normal menu, which meet both nutritional and budgetary requirements,'' Corrections Acting National Commissioner Ben Clark said.
''Christmas can be a difficult time for prisoners' families, which is why we hold whanau days in the lead-up to Christmas where kids can take part in festive activities with their mum or dad.
''For prisoners, Christmas Day is much the same as any other day, but, where possible, we offer additional sports and other activities for individuals in our care.''
Corrections staff, prisoners and community-based offenders have also been giving back to their local communities in the build-up to the festive season.
Prisoners at Otago Corrections Facility and Invercargill Prison have used their carpentry skills to build toys for children spending Christmas in hospital, and prisoners at Auckland Prison have been restoring bikes for children in care.
''Christmas can be a difficult, lonely and sometimes stressful time for the people that we work with in the community. It's been great to see our staff focusing on community safety by making sure that people can access support if things are getting tough for them.''
Freshly harvested produce grown by prisoners across the country has been given to local foodbanks and charities, including the Salvation Army on Auckland's North Shore, Women's Refuge in Hutt Valley and to Te Korowai Ropu for their Love Soup initiative which provides free kai to people in need in the Taupo region.
''Being able to use their skills to make a difference gives prisoners a sense of purpose and pride, especially around Christmas time. It can also provide a further step in their journey to turning their lives around,'' Mr Clark said.
