Social Worker Falsified Bail Conditions for Ankle Monitor Client

Four times between March and April 2021, a social worker in New Zealand circumvented strict bail conditions for a client confined to his home with a GPS ankle bracelet. Carrie Anne Matkovich, then employed by the non-profit Families Achieving Balance (Fab), misrepresented authorized leave to the Department of Corrections, allowing the man to attend her personal “mental wellbeing course” disguised as a Fab program.

Integrity of Community Supervision Undermined

Matkovich’s actions created a significant breach in the integrity of New Zealand’s electronic monitoring system. The client was under electronically monitored bail for family violence charges, necessitating 24-hour home confinement with an ankle monitor. His initial permission to leave home was strictly for a rehabilitative course run by Fab, where Matkovich was an assistant.

According to a decision from the Social Workers Disciplinary Tribunal, Matkovich’s supervisor at Fab grew concerned shortly after the course began. The supervisor noted the client’s attempts to “emotionally manipulate” Matkovich, focusing on her and seeking private interactions. Warnings were issued, instructing Matkovich to avoid solitary contact and interactions outside of the course. Despite these directives, Matkovich used her work email to contact the Department of Corrections.

She informed Corrections that the man had been selected for a “mental wellbeing course,” scheduled weekly on Mondays from 9 am to 1 pm. Matkovich did not work for Fab on Mondays, and the organization later confirmed no such course was affiliated with them. Matkovich admitted to a professional conduct committee that she ran this “mental wellbeing course” in her own time, stating she would “take people up the Mount for a walk, release and talk.” She secured Corrections’ approval four times for the client to leave his bail address under these false pretenses. She later acknowledged she “made out that it was Fab’s when it was my own – not a project, but my own sort of thing.”

Consequences and Conflicting Accounts

The discovery of Matkovich’s conduct led to her dismissal from Fab, which subsequently made a mandatory report to the Social Workers Registration Board. Police considered criminal charges for her misrepresentations to Corrections but ultimately decided against prosecution. The social workers’ professional conduct committee formally charged Matkovich with professional misconduct in January 2025. This charge specifically cited her lies to Corrections and the unauthorized signing of a character reference for the man on Fab letterhead, explicitly against her manager’s instructions.

In her defense to the committee, Matkovich attributed her faults to being a “new social worker” at the time. She invoked Māori cultural practices, stating, “as Māori we don’t necessarily practice as a tick box … Holistic practice has always been my go-to.” She explained that she picked up the man “with the goodness of my own heart, out of my pocket,” maintaining a professional relationship. While admitting she “did … break a lot of rules, and I did use Fab’s name when I shouldn’t have,” she denied any emotional manipulation or personal gain, asserting, “apart from the lying,” she maintained boundaries.

Challenges for Offender Tracking and Supervision

This case, now before the Social Workers Disciplinary Tribunal, underscores vulnerabilities inherent in community supervision and offender tracking programs that rely on human intermediaries. Electronic tagging and ankle monitors serve as critical tools for enforcing bail and parole conditions, but their effectiveness can be compromised when those entrusted with oversight fail to adhere to protocols. Social Workers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal chairwoman Catherine Garvey noted in the decision that Matkovich “disregarded the advice and guidance of her supervisor to maintain contact with the man around professional boundaries.” The incident highlights the ongoing need for stringent adherence to guidelines and robust verification processes within electronic monitoring frameworks, even when well-intentioned actions are claimed.

Source: Social worker lies to Corrections to take man with ankle monitor for walks

Related Resources: Probation GPS Monitoring Guide | GPS Ankle Monitor Buyer’s Guide | House Arrest Monitoring Guide