At least 40 offenders are considering taking legal action against the Department of Corrections after a file containing their personal details was mislaid.
The file was discovered by a member of the public outside the High Court in Auckland, after being lost by a Corrections employee in June.
Wellington lawyer Chris Tennet has been contacted by 56 offenders about the list.
He says he has yet to receive an explanation of what happened and wants to know whether they have grounds to claim compensation.
He says more than 40 people - many of them high security prisoners and two psychiatric patients - have received offical letters, indicating they were involved.
The Corrections Department says steps have been taken to prevent the publication of any identifying details.
The Sensible Sentencing Trust says any bid for compensation would make a mockery of victims' rights.
