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Corrections has begun transferring some prisoners from Christchurch Men's and Women's prisons to other sites.

The department said the move is being taken as a precautionary to reduce the pressure on emergency services and local authorities in the Christchurch region.

Acting general manager of operations, Karen Urwin, said there is a risk that the water pressure would not be adequate for sprinklers to work effectively in the event of a fire.

She said both Christchurch Men's and Women's are operating safely, with adequate drinking water, sanitation and staffing in place.

The prisoners will be moved gradually over the coming days. Male prisoners will be taken by prison bus to Otago Corrections Facility and charter flights will be used to move female prisoners to Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility.

Urwin said all prisoner movements will follow "robust escort processes" to ensure the safety of the public is not compromised.

"This is a temporary move to reduce the demand on local services, ease the pressure for contractors working at the prisons to restore infrastructure and ensure the safety of our staff and prisoners."

Rolleston Men's Prison is business as usual and largely unaffected by the earthquake.

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