Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Corrections is facing High Court action - to stop inmates from the Arohata women's prison in Wellington being transferred.
The department had planned to temporarily move about 40 prisoners to either Christchurch Women's Prison or the Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility, amid staffing shortages.
Friday, lawyers representing some prisoners applied for a judicial review for the prisoners and asked the High Court to issue an injunction, stopping the transfers taking place.
Lawyers Amanda Hill and Victoria Casey KC King's Counsel filed the application. They said the relocations were "discriminatory, disproportionate and contradict the department's policies on the treatment of Māori and women prisoners".
Hill told RNZ many of the women affected were mothers.
"And they have children and whānau in the lower North Island, and most of them haven't had any in-person contact with their kids or their families for over a year. And just as in-person visits are starting up again at other prisons, they are going to be taken to a place where their families can't visit them."
She said they were also "anxious" about disruptions to rehabilitation programmes.
"Their chances of parole - some of them feel like they are slipping away - and their release plans are all up in the air. So it is hugely stressful."
Hill said the prisoners had not been given a clear indication about how long the relocations would last.
But Corrections' regional Commissioner Liz Hawthorn said the move would reduce pressure on staff, and protect health and safety.
Corrections faces a staff shortage of about 500 custodial staff or prison workers.
In a statement, Hawthorn said the "welfare and well-being" of inmates was a priority but the department needed to "keep our staff safe".
"We have been facing staffing shortages across many of our prisons, and this has impacted our ability to fully resume access to rehabilitation and education programmes, training and education, in-person visits, and provide longer unlock hours," Hawthorn said.
"To respond to this, and as Covid-19 cases in prisons have now dropped considerably across the country, we have been temporarily moving some men and women to different prisons to alleviate pressure on staff."
Transfers had already been made at nine men's prisons, and Hawthorn said the Arohata relocations would allow "staff to move to Rimutaka Prison to open additional accommodation for high security prisoners to take pressure off Mt Eden Corrections Facility".
There was a plan "to support the continued delivery" of rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, including sending programme facilitators to Auckland and Christchurch with any relocated women.
Hawthorn said: "Families who have to travel further to visit a family member in prison ...may be eligible to apply for assistance from the Child Travel Fund."