Billy Macfarlane has had his 'specified visitor' status at all prisons around the country revoked. Photo / RNZ, Cole Eastham-Farrelly
By Sam Sherwood of RNZ
The founder of a prisoner reintegration service has had his “specified visitor” status at all prisons around the country revoked following what Corrections described as “serious sexual allegations”.
RNZ revealed that Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust general manager and founder of the Pūwhakamua rehabilitation service Billy Macfarlane faces allegations in relation to a woman who was on bail.
Macfarlane told RNZ he had a sexual encounter with the woman on one occasion, but said it was consensual and there was “nothing inappropriate about anything going on”.
Corrections, which contracted the trust to operate Pūwhakamua, told RNZ it had terminated the arrangement after they were notified of “serious sexual allegations”.
On Thursday, Corrections commissioner custodial services Sean Mason told RNZ that because of the “serious sexual nature of the allegations”, Macfarlane’s “specified visitor” at all Corrections-run prisons had been revoked.
“A ‘specified visitor’ status allows a person to attend a prison without needing to seek approval from the general manager for each visit.
“As with any member of the public, this person can apply in their personal capacity to visit a prisoner during visiting hours, however, they are subject to the general manager’s approval as to whether they are permitted on site.”
A Serco spokesperson told RNZ all staff, contractors and volunteers working in Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility (ASCF) were expected to behave with integrity.
“When we became aware of serious sexual allegations made against a Pūwhakamua staff member, we took immediate action and informed the Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust of our intention to terminate our agreement with the Trust.
“Members of the trust are no longer permitted to enter ASCF.”
If any member of the trust wishes to visit a prisoner in a personal capacity, they can apply to do so.
“All personal visitors must be approved by the prison director before they can visit any person in our care.”
Corrections began funding the service in November 2022. Since then, it had contributed around $3.9 million in ongoing funding, with a current agreement to fund $800,000 per year until 2027. About $880,000 of the $3.9m was part of a conditional grant for infrastructure upgrades.
In a statement to RNZ on Monday, Corrections deputy chief executive of communities, partnerships and pathways Juanita Ryan said it “terminated” its contract with the reintegration service on Friday.
“As soon as we became aware of the serious sexual allegations made against a Pūwhakamua staff member on Monday, March 16, 2026, we requested that the staff member be stood down and replaced immediately.
“Given the sexual nature of the allegations and the potential conflict of interest in delivering a rehabilitation service, we urgently sought further information and assurances from the Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust (Tact), who is contracted to deliver the service.”
Ryan said Corrections had not received these assurances, nor confirmation on whether the trust stood down the staff member.
Macfarlane told RNZ he had sex with the woman, who had been released on bail to a property in Auckland, on one occasion.
“It was just two consenting adults, and it had nothing to do with Corrections ... ”
He said he had consulted a lawyer to see whether he had broken any rules, and that it appeared he had not. He said the property the woman was bailed to was a “private address” where two others had also been bailed to.
He said the property was not associated with the Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust or the Pūwhakamua rehabilitation service.
“My organisation has had their funding stopped due to somebody’s false allegations.”
He believed Corrections was “just looking for any excuse to stop our contract”.
“We’re not the only ones who had their contract stopped ... I’ve [been] working in the correctional space for 14 years now, and no one even had the decency to talk to me.
“No one from Corrections asked me what happened. They’ve just taken it off social media post. That’s really unprofessional. No one’s asked me for the truth.”
Macfarlane said before he went to visit the woman in prison, he met with the prison director “to declare my conflict of interest, if there was any ...”.
“The prison director told me I need to come in either professional visitor or personal visitor. I can’t do both. I can’t blur the lines ... so I chose to go in there as a personal visitor and visit her in the visiting room with other inmates.”
He said it was not a sexual relationship at that time.
“I slept with her one night following her release ...”
He said he “categorically” denied any serious sexual allegations.
On Wednesday, a police spokesperson confirmed a complaint had been received “which is in the early stages of investigation by the Counties Manukau Adult Sexual Assault Team”.