File photo of Mt Eden Prison. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Nearly half of all New Zealand prisoners and their families are in the dark over when they will see one another again.
Seven prisons are shut off from the public with no clear end date as Corrections scrambles to fill nearly 500 job vacancies.
Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt is warning the department of its legal obligations to those serving time behind bars.
Corrections has acknowledged the situation is not ideal, but is firm in its position it will not reopen facilities to visitors until it's safe to do so.
Every prisoner is entitled to at least one 30-minute visit each week, but this can be denied on security or health and safety grounds.
These grounds are being used for the suspension of in-person visits at Auckland, Mt Eden, Spring Hill, Whanganui, Hawke's Bay, Rimutaka and Arohata prisons.
All up, the indefinite ban covers nearly 3700 prisoners or just under 48 percent of the total prison population, according to June 2022 figures.
Corrections Deputy National Commissioner Leigh Marsh could not say when these facilities will have enough staffing to reopen to the public.
"It's a tricky one to put a date on and will depend on how quickly we can bring staff on board, get them trained and deployable."
Like many other industries, Corrections' staffing has been hard-hit in the pandemic.
The department is currently running a recruitment campaign to boost staff numbers progress will likely be slow; each new officer requiring three months of training.
Marsh said the situation was far from ideal but virtual visits were being facilitated where possible until it was safe to resume face-to-face ones.
"We're not going to commence visits at sites until it's safe for the public, it's safe for our staff, and it's safe for the prisoners inside."
Former prisoner and jailhouse lawyer Arthur Taylor said keeping connected to the outside world behind bars was crucial for morale, behaviour and rehabilitation.
He doesn't believe prison visits can't be run safely right now as they'd continued under far worse staffing conditions when he was incarcerated.
"I'm going to put it this way, if they wanted to get visits back tomorrow they could and would."
"I was in prison when we had the prison officers all go on strike. The navy came into Paremoremo [Prison] and normal visits carried on exactly as before.
"The prison officers went on strike, the navy supervised it very well. So, it's not rocket science."
Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt says the department needs to be inventive and mindful of its obligations. Photo: Supplied via LDR
The Human Rights Commission has raised concerns with Corrections over the lack of face-to-face visits and relocation of some prisoners at Arohata.
Speaking generally, Chief Commissioner Paul Hunt said while the department was in a tough situation it had to consider its legal requirements.
"These in-person visits is a human rights issue. Having rehabilitation programs is a human rights issue and remaining connected with children, whanau and community is a human rights issue.
"I urge Corrections to be as inventive and transparent as possible to keep families and prisoners informed so that prisoners and families are not in the dark."
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis said while it was his preference prisoners have face-to-face visits, safety comes first.
He expected more prisons will open up to visitors before the end of the year, as job vacancies are filled.