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Corrections Act 2004

Corrections system - Coercive powers - Opening and reading of mail and withholding of correspondence

107: Reading of correspondence

You could also call this:

"Who can read a prisoner's mail and why"

Illustration for Corrections Act 2004

If you are a prisoner, an authorised person can read your mail to check if it should be withheld under section 108(1). They can do this to make sure the mail is allowed. The authorised person can also get your mail translated into English or te reo Māori if it is not already in one of those languages.

The authorised person is allowed to do these things so they can decide if your mail should be withheld. This rule is connected to other rules, which are found in sections 109 and 110.

You should know that these rules apply when an authorised person is checking your mail.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM296050.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal lawCrime and justice > Police and safety
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106: Opening of mail, or

"Prison staff can open and check a prisoner's mail to keep them safe"

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108: Withholding mail, or

"Stopping mail in prison: when a prison manager can stop letters between you and someone else"

Part 2Corrections system
Coercive powers: Opening and reading of mail and withholding of correspondence

107Reading of correspondence

  1. An authorised person may read correspondence between a prisoner and another person for the purpose of ascertaining whether it may be withheld under section 108(1).

  2. For the purposes of subsection (1), the authorised person may—

  3. have translated into English any correspondence not written in English; or
    1. have translated into te reo Māori any correspondence not written in te reo Māori.

      1. This section is subject to sections 109 and 110.

      Compare
      • SR 2000/81 r 101
      Notes
      • Section 107(1): replaced, on , by section 15(1) of the Corrections Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 3).
      • Section 107(1): amended, on , by section 27(1) of the Corrections Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 5).
      • Section 107(2): amended, on , by section 27(2) of the Corrections Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 5).