Support
Complaints and information
Howard League
Some branches of the Howard League provide one-on-one help for people while they are in prison, programmes for prisoners (such as literacy programmes) and also provide help for people who have just been released from prison.
If you have a complaint about your treatment in prison, no matter where you are in Aotearoa New Zealand, you can contact the Howard League at their Christchurch or Wellington branch.
| Christchurch branch | PO Box 2912 Christchurch 8140 Phone: (03) 377 0313 Email: canterbury@howardleague.org.nz |
| Wellington branch | PO Box 5807, Wellington 6012 Email: wellington@howardleague.org.nz |
The Wellington branch sends newsletters and annual prisoner surveys to people in prison. Get in touch to join their mailing list.
People Against Prisons Aotearoa: PAPA
PAPA offers advocacy and support to prisoners who experience harm or mistreatment in prison. PAPA advocates can visit, write and call prisoners. If you have a complaint about your treatment in prison, or connect with a PAPA advocate, you can write to PAPA.
PAPA also runs a pen pal network for people in prison to write to people on the outside, called the Prisoner Correspondence Network (PCN). If you would like to take part, write to PCN with your name, PRN, and a short introduction to be shared with your outside pen pals:
| Prisoner Correspondence Network | PCN Mail: PO Box 5870 Victoria St West Auckland 1142 |
Public Services
| Prisoner Correspondence Network | PCN Mail: PO Box 5870 Victoria St West Auckland 1142 |
| Health and Disability Commission | PO Box 11934 Manners St Wellington 6142 |
| Human Rights Commission | PO Box 5045 WELLINGTON Phone: 0508 505 809 |
| Inspector of Corrections | Private Box 1206 Wellington Phone: 0800 225 697 |
| Office of the Ombudsman | PO Box 10-152 The Terrace Wellington Phone: 0800 802 602 |
| Banking Ombudsman Scheme | Freepost 218002 PO Box 25327 Wellington 6146 Phone: 0800 805 950 |
| Privacy Commissioner | PO Box 10-094 The Terrace Wellington Phone: 0800 803 909 |
| Race Relations Office | PO Box 12-411 WELLINGTON Phone: (04) 499 5885 |
| Department of Corrections National Office | Department of Corrections National Office Private Box 1206 Wellington 6140 Phone: (04) 460 3000 |
Other toll-free numbers
You are able to call any phone number that starts with 0800 without having to pay a fee (this is called toll free). To call a number that doesn’t start with 0800, fees apply. Here are some toll free numbers:
| Inland Revenue (All enquiries) | Monday to Friday 8am-5pm 0800 387 782 |
| Inland Revenue (Child support enquiries) | Monday to Friday 8am-5pm 0800 221 221 |
| Are you OK (Women’s Prison only) | 9am-11pm daily 0800 456 450 |
| Australian Child Support Agency | 0800 440 953 |
| AVIVA Family Violence Services (Christchurch Women’s) | 0800 284 82669 |
| Legal Aid Grants | Monday to Friday 9am-4pm 0800 253 425 |
| Budget advice | 0508 283 438 (0508 Budgetline) |
| Legal Aid Service Debt Management | 0800 600 090 |
| Career Services | 0800 222 733 |
| Ministry of Health – GP Register | 0800 458 448 |
| Citizens Advice Bureau | 0800 275 222 |
| Ministry of Social Development (MSD) (Work and Income) |
Applying for a benefit 0800 559 009 |
| Ministry of Social Development (MSD) (Client Support – Debt Management) |
0800 558 008 |
| Ministry of Social Development (MSD) (Data Matching) |
0800 909 333 |
| Ministry of Social Development (MSD) (Historic Claims of Abuse) |
Monday to Friday 8:30am-5:30pm 0800 631 127 |
| Open Polytechnic Free-phone | 0508 650 200 |
| Department of Internal Affairs (for birth certificates) |
0800 227 777 |
| Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children | 0800 400 611 |
| Elections New Zealand “Electoral Commission” | 0800 36 76 56 |
| Quitline | 0800 778 778 |
| Family Dispute Resolution | 0800 774 420 |
| RecoveRing Alcohol & drug support line | Monday to Sunday 0800 678 789 |
| Fines or Reparation enquiries | 0800 434 637 (0800 4 FINES) |
| Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historic Abuse in State care and Faith Based Institutions | 0800 222 727 |
| SHINE (Women’s Prisons only) | 9am-11pm daily 0508 744 633 |
| Health and Disability Advocacy Service | 0800 555 050 |
| StudyLink | 0800 889 900 |
| Housing New Zealand | Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm 0800 801 601 |
| The Commissioner for Children | 0800 224 453 |
| The Learning Connexion | 0800 364 636 |
| Veterans’ Affairs | Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm 0800 483 8372 |
