Nearly half of all New Zealand prisoners - and their families - are in the dark over when they will see one another again.
Seven prisons are shut off from the public with no clear end date as Corrections scrambles to fill nearly 500 job vacancies.
The Human Rights Commission is warning Corrections about its legal responsibilites, but the department maintains it won't resume visits until it's safe to do so.
Political reporter Anneke Smith has more.
