Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, March 11th, 2010 - 30 comments
When a guy who was imprisoned and tortured by Idi Amin calls the conditions in which prisoners are kept in New Zealand “a source of shame and disgrace” you know we have problems. Unfortunately, it has become acceptable in this modern political environment to view prisoners as less than human
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 am, March 5th, 2010 - 16 comments
For just $2.4 million a year, the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society and its 500 volunteers help 25,000 inmates and ex-inmates with rehabilitation and readjustment each year. Their efforts help turn people away from crime. But the Nats cancelled the funding. All they believe in is putting the boot in harder even though it doesn’t stop crime.
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, January 20th, 2010 - 89 comments
The ’3 strikes’ policy is the kind of policy you put in place when you want to look tough on crime but you have no idea how to actually reduce it, in the same way a cycleway is the jobs plan you have when you don’t have a plan. We know locking people up longer doesn’t …
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, September 18th, 2009 - 2 comments
In the second part of our double header for Drinking Liberally this month we’ve got director of Rethinking Crime & Punishment Kim Workman to come and talk about justice policy. When: 7pm TUESDAY 22 September – (not our normal Wednesday night) Where: Galatos – 17 Galatos Street, Newton (just off K road) – free entry …
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, August 27th, 2009 - 10 comments
Excellent piece by Patrick Gower in the Herald today on Judith Collins’ attempt to smear Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon. Collins has leaked part of an OIA (which she’s so far refused to release to Labour) which she says shows “union bosses” are “living a jet-set lifestyle” on the taxpayer after they received $127,000 in …
Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, July 29th, 2009 - 41 comments
NZPA reports: An MP from government confidence and supply party ACT today told prison officers who spoke out against private prisons that they had hurt their future job prospects. David Garrett’s remark came hot on the heals of accusations yesterday that the Government attempted to intimidate and silence people. Those claims were sparked by Social …
Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, July 22nd, 2009 - 36 comments
You pricks decided what you were going to do and you’re not listening to me or anybody else. . . You people are not even interested in the people who are going to be living within the environment of a privatised prison. I actually hold you in f. . .king contempt From the select committee …
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, April 2nd, 2009 - 1 comment
From No Right Turn. The Law and Order Committee has called for submissions on the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill. Two copies, by Friday, 22 May 2009, to: Law and Order Committee Secretariat Parliament Buildings Wellington The bill would allow prisons to be privately managed. In the process, it would remove private prisons …
Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, March 14th, 2009 - 2 comments
I’ve been meaning to write something about the private prisons bill for a couple of days as it’s a recipe for barbarity. But I’ve decided there’s no way I could do a better job of it than I/S has at No Right Turn, so I’m just going to repeat his whole post here. (hopefully he …
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, March 11th, 2009 - 33 comments
Yesterday Tane did an excellent post speculating on links between the Sensible Sentencing Trust and GEO Group. GEO Group derived from the notorious Wackenhut Corrections and it now wants to run privately run and publically funded prisons in NZ. In the US, the GEO Group supports organizations preaching almost exactly the messages as the SST …
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 pm, March 10th, 2009 - 46 comments
ACT MP David Garrett is quickly becoming a sick joke. Asked today about the fact more prisoners will be assaulted or raped by their cellmates if the Government brings in double-bunking, he replied: “The fact is if you don’t want to be assaulted – or worse – by a cellmate, avoid prison by not committing …
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, March 10th, 2009 - 29 comments
One of the features of a privatised prison system is the potential for corruption of the political process by the commercial interests of private prison operators. Thanks to Tom in the comments it’s come to light that GEO Group, the company formerly known as Wackenhut and main contendor for National’s privatised prisons, has funded ‘tough …
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, March 9th, 2009 - 87 comments
The Herald has the scoop that National is looking to privatise New Zealand’s prison system. Add David Garrett’s savage three strikes law and you’ve got a real money spinner. But what lucky firm will get to cash in on it? Turns out it’s Geo Group. You might not be familiar with the name but that’s …
Written By: - Date published: 2:10 pm, February 12th, 2009 - 34 comments
Two Pennsylvania Judges have been accused of taking bribes from private prison operators to ensure a reliable stream of prisoners. To quote Associated Press: In one of the most shocking cases of courtroom graft on record, two Pennsylvania judges have been charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately …
Written By: - Date published: 12:19 am, December 28th, 2008 - 76 comments
The Economist is one of the few main stream media that seem to be flourishing in the days of decline for most media outlets. This is probably because it offers truly interesting comment and opinion. For instance in the current science section, they have “Darwinism:Why we are, as we are, a view on the current …
Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, December 19th, 2008 - 57 comments
When I saw this photo of Pita Sharples tucking into a prison meal in today’s Dom Post I was hopeful it was a stunt to try and put a stop to the mean-spirited howls from talkbackland over how prisoners have it too good at Christmas time. But what a difference a ministerial warrant and the …
Written By: - Date published: 3:08 pm, December 2nd, 2008 - 68 comments
Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar’s analysis of prisons today: “Under our present prison policy the inmates are basically running the prison” Why does anyone take this man seriously?
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