Corrections Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced the Otago Corrections Facility (OCF) will be one of three sites which will have a new Drug Treatment Unit (DTU) under the Department of Corrections Drug and Alcohol Strategy 2009-14.
The new facility will open early next year.
OCF manager Jack Harrison welcomed the announcement and believed it would help Milburn prisoners to overcome dependency issues which were often a significant factor in their offending.
"A high proportion of prisoners have a life-long history of drug dependency and a significant amount of crime is committed by offenders who are affected by drugs or alcohol on the day of their offending," he said.
"It is excellent that we will be able to offer more South Island prisoners an intensive programme that can help reduce re-offending and ultimately make our communities safer."
Mr Harrison said the other two new drug treatment units would be situated in Wanganui, and an unspecified prison in the northern region.
The new units would double the number of prisoners receiving drug and alcohol treatment, from 500 to 1000 per year by 2011.
The six existing DTUs, located at Spring Hill Corrections Facility, and Hawkes Bay, Waikeria, Arohata, Rimutaka and Paparua Prisons, run a 24 week programme and have had great success, he said.
"The department's research shows that re-conviction rates for those who have been through a drug treatment unit are 13 percentage points lower over a 24-month period than those untreated offenders."
The programme at the new units will differ to those offered at the six existing DTUs.
Mr Harrison said the new units would run a shorter and more intensive programme, designed to help prisoners serving shorter sentences.
"Giving prisoners the opportunity to beat their addictions is one half of the battle - the other is keeping drugs out and restricting their supply. We are winning this battle. Our positive random drug tests are their lowest ever at 10.5% across the country."
The department's drug and alcohol strategy also gives staff additional training on drug and alcohol dependency and improved drug prevention and detection systems, he said.
