By the end of tomorrow close to 650 prisoners will have been evacuated from Christchurch Men's and Women's prisons. Commencing on Monday prisoners were moved to Otago and Auckland Women's Facilities.

"Many of our staff, both in Christchurch and in the North Island worked through the night last night to transfer around 200 high security prisoners to Waikeria, Spring Hill and Rimutaka Prisons. Prisoners understand why they are being shifted, they are complying with instructions from staff and we haven't had any major issues," says Acting Manager Service Support Lance Alexander.

"Staff worked together through the night to receive, process, assess and feed prisoners arriving at North Island prisons. The last prisoners from yesterdays movements were locked into their cells at Spring Hill at around 6.00am.

"Other staff have been supervising prisoners on flights, managing road transfers to and from airports and ensuring that the safety of the public isn't compromised through the movements. Logistically this is a huge exercise and we are grateful for the tireless effort of our staff and their dedication."

"We are also very grateful to Defence who have used their aircraft to fly prisoners, and the Police who have also assisted with transfers between airports and prisons."

"Through additional double bunking we added almost 1000 extra beds to our prisons last year, along with extra staff to manage the increased numbers. We also always operate with a 'buffer' of unoccupied beds to allow for emergency situations. These beds are now temporarily housing prisoners from Christchurch, and are likely to do so until we have some certainty about the safety and security of Canterbury prisons."

"Right now we don't know how long prisoners will be accommodated outside of Christchurch. Our focus is on inspecting and assessing any damage to the prisons there, cleaning up and restoring affected infrastructure. We are not willing to add further pressure to emergency services in Christchurch by placing prisoners back in Christchurch without assurance that the sites are safe and secure."

"Along with the Corrections and Public Service Associations, we are also focused on supporting our staff in Christchurch who have suffered damage or losses at home as a result of the earthquake. Reduced numbers of prisoners to manage provides them with the ability to focus on events at home."

"Unlike some businesses, we can't temporarily cease operating and return once everything is fixed - this is part and parcel of being an essential service."