Figures released under the Official Information Act show the number of prisoners waiting to be transferred to Auckland's secure psychiatric hospital, the Mason Clinic, dropped from as many as 20 in September last year to nine the following month.
The Waitemata District Health Board says by the end of October, six prisoners diagnosed as having acute and three with sub-acute psychiatric illnesses were on its waiting list.
The Ministry of Health admitted to Radio New Zealand in September last year that as many as 20 acutely psychotic prisoners needed treatment at the clinic, but remained in jail due to a bed shortage.
A Waitemata DHB spokesperson says it has managed to keep the waiting list down to nine since then.
The spokesperson said this is due to Wellington's Capital and Coast District Health Board taking pressure off waiting list by providing up to five beds for the use of Auckland patients that were made available at the beginning of last year.
