The Prisoner Reintegration team

Prisoner Reintegration teams work with prisoners before their release. Generally, they are Ministry of Social Development case managers or work brokers.

Their main role is to:

• assist prisoners to find suitable employment upon release
• assist prisoners to make and begin to process applications for any financial assistance they may qualify for when they are released, including Steps to Freedom grants and
• provide in-work support for former prisoners

For more information about the Prisoner Reintegration teams see:

The Prisoner Reintegration team can pay Steps to Freedom grants up to 5 days before a prisoner's release. This allows the prisoner to pay for their re-establishment costs before they are released from prison. However, it cannot be paid more than 5 days before their release.

For more information see:

The application fee for a New Zealand birth certificate can be paid for a prisoner before release when the:

• prisoner meets the qualifications for a Special Needs Grant
• prisoner meets the criteria for other emergency grants and
• birth certificate is required as supporting evidence for an application for a benefit

The Prisoner Reintegration team will organise payment of the application fee with Births, Deaths and Marriages.

If the prisoner's birth was not registered in New Zealand you can pay the application fee for other forms of identification, such as a confirmation letter from Immigration New Zealand.