Decisions on what to do about an escalating New Zealand prison population are still pending, but the government has revealed it has ruled out building a 2.500 bed prison expansion at Waikeria. other options are being considered.
Limited measures were announced in the Budget. Grant Robertson:
Our goal is to stop the spiralling prison population and reduce it by 30 percent over the next 15 years.
To respond to unavoidable short-term pressures, this Budget will fund accommodation for 600 more prisoner places in rapid-build modular units. Meanwhile, initiatives are being developed to reduce the number of people in prison, while keeping New Zealanders safe.
Three days later the Waikeria expansion was raised by Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta in a TVNZ Marae discussion – Questions surround prison after Maori Development Minister says they won’t throw ‘$1 billion at a prison Waikeria’
Appearing on TVNZ1’s Marae, Nanaia Mahuta was answering a question from National MP Jami-Lee Ross about what the budget meant for struggling families.
“We aren’t going to throw 1 billion dollars at a prison in Waikeria. We want to put it into the regional economy,” Ms Mahuta said today.
Broadcaster Miriama Kamo asked Ms Mahuta directly if that meant the prison was a no-go.
“Let’s clarify, did you just say there will not be a mega prison in Waikeria?”
Ms Mahuta said it was a matter for the Corrections minister to decide.
“I think if you build bigger prisons, they’ll get filled.”
Finance Minister Grant Robertson was quick to respond:
This prompted more questions. Stuff: Government says Waikeria won’t be ‘mega prison’, but a wider decision is pending
Asked for further comment Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis said the wider decision was still pending but confirmed the “mega-prison” plans would not go ahead. However, he left the option open to expand the prison more moderately.
“We are looking at all the options to deal with the rising prison population and our current capacity crisis,” Davis said.
“I can confirm, we will not be building a mega prison with 2500 beds as proposed by the National government.
“But that decision alone does not deal with the challenges I have mentioned. And we will take action, but it will be considered and not reactive.”
Davis said he would be taking his time to make the right decision, looking at “all the options across the board”. He said he would be working with Justice Minister Andrew Little and Police Minister Stuart Nash.
The 600 prison beds announced in the budget will help address the problem, but only partially.
On Friday…
…the union representing prison workers was calling on the Government to make a decision soon.
“All prison staff, including Community Corrections staff working in prisons, are under constant pressure, because prisons are so overcrowded they can’t do the rehabilitation work inmates need,” Public Services Association organiser Willie Cochrane said.
“600 beds will not be enough to ease the current crisis, because so many of the current prison areas are not fit to house inmates.
“If that expansion isn’t going ahead, we want to hear what more he’ll do to expand the capacity of our prisons in the short term and keep our members safe in the workplace.”
Cochrane said on Sunday…
…his members wanted a clearer response.
“Frankly, this comment from the Minister leaves us none the wiser,” Cochrane said.
“Our members welcome Labour’s commitment to cut the number of people in prison. But right now, the system is close to breaking point, and our members are getting frustrated at the time the government is taking to reach a decision.”
Labour has been vague on how they would address the growing prison population since before the election. Last August (The Spinoff):
Labour’s policy announcements have so far been all but silent on criminal justice policy. Other than 1,000 additional frontline police – a commitment that will significantly fuel rather than stem the prison population – there is no clear plan to tackle prisons. Indeed, Davis’ announcement-not-announcement of a prison run on tikanga Māori values was quickly quashed by then Labour leader Andrew Little. Until now, a question mark has hovered over Labour’s corrections policy.
Davis and his rise to the role of deputy leader of the Labour Party may yet represent one of the most exciting developments in prison policy in decades. Backed by a leader with a similarly clear vision for a more effective and humane approach to crime and punishment, a seismic shift in corrections policy could come by way of a Labour-Greens government.
With an incumbent prime minister who famously labelled prisons as “a moral and fiscal failure” and a minister of corrections desperately seeking options to reduce the prison population, Labour can put forward a radical platform to overhaul the prison system and National will be unable to do much more than nod along in agreement. There is the very real possibility – pinch me now – that this election we could see a rational, evidence-based debate on the way forward for New Zealand’s broken prison system. Let’s do that.
There has been little sign of “a rational, evidence-based debate on the way forward for New Zealand’s broken prison system”, just vagueness and delays.
Davis, Little and Labour are going to have to make some major decisions on prisons and imprisonment rates soon.
