New Zealand: Prison staff shortage puts inmates to bed early

[Greg]

Prison staff shortage puts inmates to bed early | New Zealand Herald

5:00AM Thursday November 22, 2007
By Derek Cheng

About 2100 prisoners are being forced into early lockdowns at 5pm every day because of staff shortages in the Corrections Department.

Corrections assistant general manager of operations Bryan McMurray said the new policy could last well into next year and beyond, depending on the success of recruitment drives or swings in the labour market.

Prison staff are bracing themselves to be further stretched over the Christmas period, as officers take annual leave.

Welfare groups are concerned the policy, which deprives prisoners of social activities, is having an impact on the chances of rehabilitation.

The lockdowns have been implemented at Rimutaka, Arohata Women's and Wellington prisons and Waikeria Prison in the Waikato. They have been in place at Waikeria for more than three years.

About 2100 prisoners have to have dinner at 4pm and are locked in their cells from 5pm to 8am every night without access to social activities, prison facilities, visitors or phone calls. A standard single cell is 8sq m.

Normal lockdown hours are generally 8pm to 8am, depending on a prisoner's security risk.

Lyanne Kerr, national director of NZ Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society, said the lockdowns reinforced an anti-authority mentality. "A lot of prisoners think this is unfair. This is an operational issue and has nothing to do with them."

She praised department programmes such as literacy and drug-treatment courses, but said it was a "shame to be affecting the effectiveness of that, just because we can't get enough people to walk the floor".

Mr McMurray conceded the policy was not ideal and may even last into next year and beyond.

National Party corrections spokesman Simon Power said he was concerned the lockdowns would lead to an increase in complaints, which could lead to compensation claims and taxpayer-funded payouts.

But Mr McMurray said there had been neither an increase in complaints nor claims for compensation in the past year.

He said the Waikeria experience had even had a silver lining. "Many of them say they prefer the early lock-up. It's less opportunity for them to get into trouble."

[Greg]

Seems to be the same story everywhere in the English-speaking world.

[guarddog]

True True...How ever...coma...They were not thinking of the inconvienances when they were committing their crimes. Or the inconvienance to the victims.

[GUNNER]

Originally Posted by guarddog

True True...How ever...coma...They were not thinking of the inconvienances when they were committing their crimes. Or the inconvienance to the victims.

Excellent point. However, you know how these groups are, they will fix it so the thugs are running this prison in no time. I think it should be a requirement that any person wanting to work for a prisoner rights group should work no less than 6 months in a prison as an Officer.

[AZCorrections84]

If there are no complaints, then what's the big deal? Ha.

Rehabilitate? It's just a word. There are no amount of programs or classes that can 'rehabilitate' an offender unless the offender really wants to clean up.

Closing at 5 pm? I work a lockdown anyway, so that's no problem, but aren't most classes for 'rehabilitation' in the AM anyway?

[Von Nanega]

5pm Lockdown! That ROCKS! Easy money man!

[BOP Hack]

Not only the 5:00 PM Lockdown that rocks but they use to have an 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM, even that would rock for for a Pen!

[KBCraig]

Kiwis got nuts!

The staff shortage might be the same as we have here, but the response is very different. Here in the anti-Antipodes, the official response would be, "It's okay, to keep the inmates busy we will extend recreation hours, delay count, and allow extended TV viewing. And what staff shortage? We're fully staffed!"