John Key explains

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, July 24th, 2015 - 87 comments
Categories: john key, prisons - Tags: , , ,

John Key explaining recent events at our Serco run prision:

“One of the claims that had been made, I think, was that someone had been thrown off a balcony – in fact, actually, Serco say that the person jumped off the balcony, or tripped, or fell.

Oh well that’s that sorted.

“There’s different versions of these things, and it’s really important in these situations to acknowledge there are a whole lot of vested interests that will make claims for a variety of different reasons – some things are very unsubstantiated.”

Background reading for context on Serco. And speaking of vested interests – who is that has vested interests in the success of private prisons again?

87 comments on “John Key explains ”

  1. Gangnam Style 1

    Sick Govt, on Morning Report this morning Kelvin Davis got another grilling, he had to explain to Suzi that he is in fact not the Govt!

  2. ankerawshark 2

    So according to John Key things are o.k. if someone trips or falls off a balcony in prison??? So he’s relaxed about it?????

    This is like his speculation that Labour may have received $100,000 from Dong Liu. Throw out a big lie, mis-truth that’s hard to prove to muddy the waters.

    I know this is my interpretation, but that is the implication I think.

    • Puckish Rogue 2.1

      I suppose we could wait for the investigation to run its course, not that I’m suggesting Davis might be making things up

      • dukeofurl 2.1.1

        You wish, an investigation huh ?

        The trouble with that is cell phone videos from the cells – get it – make better news stories.

        The minister is lying, the prisoners are running the jail, you could not make it up.

      • Brendon Harre 2.1.2

        What effing investigation. A man died under suspicious circumstances. Where is the independent police investigation? Where is the independent investigation from the Crown?

        This isn’t bloody Russia. WTF is happening to our country?

        I am sick of this slimy PM who cannot do his job properly of upholding the public interest.

        • Jackp 2.1.2.1

          It’s not russia, it’s the United States which is almost as bad.

          • Colonial Viper 2.1.2.1.1

            US incarceration rate – and use of prisons for private profit eg slave labour for corporations – is far higher than in Russia.

        • tc 2.1.2.2

          They’re busy prosecuting Slater for his admitted breach of the law…..not !

  3. Save NZ 3

    Since a murder was committed I would have thought the police would be called in to work this out

    One of the claims that had been made, I think, was that someone had been thrown off a balcony – in fact, actually, Serco say that the person jumped off the balcony, or tripped, or fell

    Umm don’t think that Serco guards should be investigated over a potential murder under their watch?

  4. dukeofurl 4

    Anyone whos never been in a prison would know that you dont rat on another prisoner even if they have bashed you.

    So its always , tripped, slipped, fell etc.

    So its bullshit that this person “fell”

    • Anno1701 4.1

      “Anyone whos never been in a prison would know that you dont rat on another prisoner even if they have bashed you.”

      +100

      unless you want to “trip or fall” again

      and narks/grasses tend to trip/fall a little further and land a lot harder

  5. Hanswurst 5

    It’s classic Key. Make an unsubstantiated counter-claim, suggest that he could find other people with other versions, and use some meaningless verbiage that abuses the English language to add emphasis at the end – in this case, “very unsubstantiated”. Something is either unsubstantiated or it isn’t, dick. There’s no “very” about it (of course, you could point out that something can be poorly or well substantiated, etc., but that’s got nothing to do with Key’s choice of words; he’s just throwing out something hazy but emphatic as a sort of linguistic explosive to lend weight to his statements, regardless of the actual meaning).

    This is all that Key ever does. I can’t believe the man retains a single vote on the back of such dribbling, transparent wank, let alone the levels of popularity he continues to enjoy.

    • Molly 5.1

      +100

    • Shona 5.2

      Hanswurst you have made my day! +2000

    • ankerawshark 5.3

      1000+ Hanswurst. Completely agree. Astonishing he get away with it.

      Just seen on stuff a father of a man who “tripped and fell” off a balcony in Mt Eden, and broke his legs tells his sons story, i.e. that he was rounded on, tried to escape then pushed…………I believe what the father said a millon times over John Key.

    • happynz 5.4

      This is all that Key ever does. I can’t believe the man retains a single vote on the back of such dribbling, transparent wank, let alone the levels of popularity he continues to enjoy.

      Yup. Depressing, isn’t it?

    • Clemgeopin 5.5

      It is astonishing how his smile, spin, lies and friendly mannerisms have fooled many multitudes of people into thinking that he is a person that actually cares about the real welfare of New Zealand and its values!

    • whateva next? 5.6

      exactly, thankyou for articulating this tactic.

    • Smilin 5.7

      As you rightly state this is the Key MO thru and thru and as we who have watched the NP charades in various NP govts do seriously think that going to hell in a handbasket will be the end result of this govt come next election thats if we can get enough evidence in the public’s face to wake them up to this fed- freemarket, quasi fascist sponsored take over of our sovereignty and our democracy which is under serious threat of ever being able to govern this country in a manner we can trust

  6. Ad 6

    Key is on a complete loser here.

    Davis is compiling the evidence for a good long drip drip drip.

    There will also be more video evidence come out, which will sink the Governemnt on this issue good and proper.

    Before Key considers sacking Sam, his test in a month or two is:
    Fire Serco, or completely clean out Corrections Management.

    • Puckish Rogue 6.1

      You hope theres more evidence

      • Tricledrown 6.1.1

        Read the latest news yet PR.
        More evidence that Serco is manipulating its performance by shipping injured prisoners out so they avoid paying for not meeting their contracts.
        Avoiding responsibility.
        Then new news on initiation ritual of dropping prisoners from 1st floor landings fight clubs.
        How much in donation did the National party get from Serco via lord Ashcroft etc.
        Crony capitalism.

      • Colonial Viper 6.1.2

        You hope theres more evidence

        It’s important we get to the bottom of what has been going on under Serco’s watch. You may not be interested if our prisons get turned into dangerous money making jokes, but other people are.

    • BM 6.2

      Nope.

      Labour will end up looking like crim huggers .

      Watch Key turn this around.

      • dukeofurl 6.2.1

        Even the conservative radio commentators are saying Sammy is a fool and with your comments we can see why

      • Puckish Rogue 6.2.2

        Labour as crim huggers? So it ain’t so:

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/69006542/threestrikes-law-changes-unlikely-after-five-years

        Labour Party justice spokesperson Jacinda Ardern said she did not accept figures showed the bill worked, and that more specific research should be done.

        Labour wanted the law gone, as it took away judges’ power to look at the circumstances around an offence, with the party wanting to put more focus on helping offenders turn away from crime, she said.

        • dukeofurl 6.2.2.1

          Trouble is National has a history of reducing time served and making life ‘soft’

          Serving only a third of your sentence, thanks Bolger government.

          • Puckish Rogue 6.2.2.1.1

            Not Bolgers finest moment to say the least

            • Colonial Viper 6.2.2.1.1.1

              NZ needs to rethink its entire Corrections system. At the moment the system is too much Crim University and crim networking; too little on sorting out your life and leaving bad patterns behind.

      • Tony 6.2.3

        I think you underestimate human decency here. Hardcore Nat supporters might be secretly pleased that prisoners are dying, but centrists? I doubt it.

        • dukeofurl 6.2.3.1

          The impression the public is getting is the prisoners are having things their own way, ie the fight clubs, the cellphones.

          Thats goes against the publics idea of how the natural order should be, that the guards run the prison.

          Its too late , and Davis is too cunning to allow a late call it crim hugging.

          The narrative is the prisoners are running the show and Serco is allowing it to happen.
          game, set , match

          • Puckish Rogue 6.2.3.1.1

            Thats all right, I hear Judith Collins is itching to get back into cabinet then we’ll see how good Davis is (he is pretty good to be fair)

        • mickysavage 6.2.3.2

          The proverbial will hit the rotating thing when the statistics concerning officer assaults come out. These figures are also disasterous.

        • BM 6.2.3.3

          No body is happy that some one is dead.

          I’m just pointing out that if Labour keeps going on and on about it they run the risk of being seen as supportive of criminals, especially since they do have some form in this area, as Puckish Rogue has shown

          This is not stuff that gets people voting for you, most people have had run ins with criminals and lets be honest I doubt any one has any great memories of their encounters with the criminal under class.

          Peoples sympathies for individuals who end up in prison is pretty much non-existent, as a political party you really don’t want to be seen to be siding too heavily with particular demographic.

          • dukeofurl 6.2.3.3.1

            Wake up and smell the prisoners running the prison.

            Thats never going to get accepted by the public.

            That Serco is running the place as though it were a pre school and letting the prisoners have their own playtime is a bonus.

          • dv 6.2.3.3.2

            “No body is happy that some one is dead.

            Nope not quite.
            this was a comment yesterday BM
            keyman 17
            23 July 2015 at 7:43 pm
            whats the big deal so someone dies look at all the money we have saved

        • Puckish Rogue 6.2.3.4

          Sure they’ll be concerned but it’ll be pretty low down the list, what Labour should have done is continue on with the housing in Auckland just without the blatent racist attacks

          • dukeofurl 6.2.3.4.1

            Low down the list ? How far down the TV news is it ?

            Best of all the news gatekeepers have seen Kelvins version come true while Sammy has had to eat his words.

          • ankerawshark 6.2.3.4.2

            I think Labour are firing up really well and attacking on many fronts.

            The general public, even very conservative people (perhaps especially so) will be very concerned about an out of control prison, even if they don’t give a toss about the prisoners (and remember Mt Eden is a remand, any of us could end up in there).

            The most conservative people like discipline. If National don’t addres this, it will make them look weak and possibly make Key look too relaxxxxxxed.

            How far is Mt Eden prison from Parnell again???????

            • Puckish Rogue 6.2.3.4.2.1

              I think you’ve read it wrong, prisons and prisoners are out of sight out of mind

              Now if you get a bunch of prisoners escaping thats a whole different story

              • ankerawshark

                Puckish Rogue,

                Read my comment below. It turns out the young man who died’s grandfather was a National Stalwart. Helped Mark Mitchel on his campaign………………………………………

                Rich kids and poor kids alike are at risk of drug and abuse and the life style that goes with it. Remember Millie Elder?

                • Colonial Viper

                  Read my comment below. It turns out the young man who died’s grandfather was a National Stalwart. Helped Mark Mitchel on his campaign………………………………………

                  Yep – neolib right wingers like PR like to pretend that the tapestry of society is not closely woven. Until the facts and the interconnections become impossible to ignore.

              • Colonial Viper

                I think you’ve read it wrong, prisons and prisoners are out of sight out of mind

                That’s the way they should be. Modern, professionally and humanely run.

                The way Serco is doing it prisons and Corrections are going to be front and centre.

                What way do you want it PR?

              • Tracey

                ACT has about 17% of its elected MPs guilty of fraud or deceit so thats some interested in more humane prisons. .. from the extreme right (to borrow from wayne mapps overstatements).

              • Tracey

                then people who think like that need educating. imprisoning someone is very expensive. recidivism is high. it makes ECONOMIC if not humane, sense to rehabilitate. but that requires a large bunch of folks in NZ to think a bit more deeply.

        • Kevin 6.2.3.5

          As a right-leaning centrist and pragmatic libertarian I’m not pleased at all – society should be judged on how well it treats it’s most vulnerable and there’s no one more vulnerable than someone who has had their liberty taken away.

          And what was the minister thinking anyway? Did he not think it not important enough that someone had died, regardless of the circumstances, and whether that person jumped, tripped, or was thrown?

      • Tricledrown 6.2.4

        Desperation toilet,rolls out in numbers
        As the site hits the Key groupies.

      • ankerawshark 6.2.5

        BM @ 6.2
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11486181

        You see National party supporters have relatives in prison too…………………..

        My sympathy to Nick’s family who have clearly endured so much, including the death of their son in custody. Shameful.

        I wonder what the family think of John Keys tribute now given the through them off course interview he did this morning.??????? Makes you think doesn’t it.

    • infused 6.3

      So far its all bs. One of the unions said there was no way the guy was dropped. The rails are shoulder high.

      Just do an investigation and get itnover with. Kelvin has been shown to be streching the truth.

      • Macro 6.3.1

        Is that the best you can offer?
        We need better trolls.

      • Anno1701 6.3.2

        ” The rails are shoulder high.”

        are you serious ?

        Just because you may not be ableraise your arms above your waist doesn’t mean nobody else can either

      • thatguynz 6.3.3

        So if the rails are shoulder high how did the inmate “trip and fall” as Corrections / the Government assert?

        Use your fucking brain.

  7. Jenny Kirk 7

    Today’s Herald has a story that the grandfather of the man who “jumped, tripped or fell” was a National Party stalwart. Presumably his family is not going to feel quite so gung-ho about this matter that their dear “leader” is…..

  8. BM 8

    How many correction officers who work in Serco run prisons are in the corrections union?

    I just had a read of this and I have to wonder about having union members working in
    Serco run prisons.

    http://www.canzunion.co.nz/About-Us.aspx

    They seem to be utterly hostile towards National and completely against any concept of privately run prisons.

    • Of course the corrections union is against profit based prisons. They’ve known all along what we’re just finding out; they don’t work.

      • BM 8.1.1

        You have to wonder if they’re actively working against Serco though, making them look bad so they get shut down.

        This is where I’m guessing all Davis info is coming from?

        • Sabine 8.1.1.1

          So it does not matter that criminals in Serco run prisons where prisoners have access to drugs, alcohol, phones, run fight clubs, where prisoners help other prisoners to trip, slip and stumble down from a balustrade and / or a staircase without a worry by the guards ( i guess they are locked up themselves eating donuts or something 🙂 ).

          No, what matters to BM is that Unions might (and that is a big bold and cursive MIGHT as BM has absolutely nothing to prove this – or do you? Cause if you do please show, or as the PM said today it would be very unsubstantiated claim of something or other or rather or fuck it? ) provide a MP from the opposition with information about a badly run prison, that not only endangers the lives of the prisoners, but in the end also the life of the guards that work there.

          Consider this, BM, once these prisoners from the Serco run Prisons are re-leased into the general population (us and you) again, do you think they are rehabilitated or maybe just more angry, pissed of and better trained at being a criminal?

          And consider this BM, why would you want to pay a private Company for a service that they don’t provide? Because the Tax payer – again you and us – are paying Serco for providing a service?

          Or do you believe that it is ok for Serco to not keep taps on the Prisoners, so that they can have drugs, alcohol, run fight clubs and avert their eyes when a prisoner again falls, stumbles, slips and trips over a balustrade or down some staircases? Do you think it is ok for Serco to dump Prisoners injured in the Prison that they run on to a publicly run Prison so as to whitewash their negative stats in order to avoid a penalty payment?

          And remember BM, you are paying for this service. The government is only spending the money the Taxpayers is paying, or else they are spending money they are loaning, and our debt is currently at a 100 billion give or take a few cents.

          So you really thing that the Corrections Union is your worst problem. Or that maybe just maybe Serco is not providing the services it is contractually obliged to provide?

          • BM 8.1.1.1.1

            After having a read of this
            http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about_us/working_with_us/partners/service_providers-Serco.html

            I went and had a look at these

            http://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/prison_performance_tables.html

            Guess which prison is top of the list ?, yep you guessed it, Mount Eden

            Therefore
            1. Am I happy with Serco running Mount Eden, YES.
            2. Is Serco providing good value for the NZ taxpayer, YES.

            • Sabine 8.1.1.1.1.1

              Why and on what to you base your support for Serco.

              Really, consider that all allegations so far have been true. Take away the party hat for a moment, and explain to me why you can be happy with a Prison that allows drugs, alcohol, phones and fight clubs?

              What do you base your happiness on?

              Me I am just a taxpayer who does not see a service that I help pay for being provided. Disclaimer, i have never been incarcerated and I have no family members or friends incarcerated. So really I am just someone who pays the bills, and I am not happy with the Service that Serco provides – because we are not paying them for not providing the service.

              So explain to me why it makes you happy that Serco is being paid for a service they are not providing, and would you show the same leniancy towards a public state run prison if National would lobby the same allegation against a Labour run government?

              • BM

                They are providing a service and are meeting the criteria set by the government, as I put in the above post Mt Eden is the highest ranked prison in NZ.

                Also there’s drugs and fighting in every prison in NZ, why Serco is in the gun and no other prison leads me to the believe that this is nothing more than a union run hit piece, done along similar lines as what the teachers union are doing with charter schools.

                • ankerawshark

                  BM perhaps cause a man has died in one of their prisons……………..

                  I don’t think any registered teachers would touch charter schools with a barge pole……………..So I am not sure by what feat of logic you are blaming teachers for the failure of charter schools (and what a massive failure)

                  But your views are so unbelievable, I think the most likely scenario is that even you don’t believe them, you are making them up to troll………..

                    • Sabine

                      so you are comparing the forestry industry to a place where several hundred criminals are locked up?

                      Hmmm, a guy makes a living cutting down trees,
                      a guy makes a living cooking methamphetamine, running prostitutes, maybe has killed someone.

                      clearly its the same thing.

                      BM, come on, You do have your own mind. Please use it.

                    • ankerawshark

                      Yes it is interesting BM and speaks to me of the need for greater regulation in forestry and prisons.

                    • BM

                      Your’e not impressed that since 2008 the number of people dying in prison has halved ?

                      I thought that was a great result for National.

                    • McFlock

                      Not really – that chart shows variation from .09 to .14% deaths.
                      A running average might be skewed by one lucky year of only 2 or three deaths, and that’s before we get into the second half of the article which talks about the lack of investigation into prison deaths, which is before we get into whether or not the stats are being juked by serco or anyone else..

                    • Sabine

                      the chart is from 2006. That was well before 2008. So where is the data that supports your claim, because your link does not show a link.

                      http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/176046/ar2007-complete.pdf
                      so here are the stats from 2006/ 2007
                      un-natural death and suicides down as per the annual report of 2007/8

                      now anual report 2007/2008 Page 24 / 25
                      http://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/annual-reports5/annual_report_200708.html
                      un-natural death down and so are suicides
                      in fact if you have a look at page 25 you will see that the number has been going down overall with smaller ups in 2003/4 and 2005/06

                      that was before the national government came into power.

                      Now here comes the National Government
                      annual report 2008/2009

                      http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/674791/08-09_Annual-Report.pdf

                      serious assault….ouch that one . Page 28, Up for Prisoner on Prisoner and Prisoner on Staff
                      Page 28 and 29 unnatural death / suicides same number (5) as it was fro 2007/2008.

                      http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/674781/Annual_Report_09-10.pdf

                      annual report 2009/10
                      http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/674781/Annual_Report_09-10.pdf

                      Page 15 unnatural death 6, so up, but they were all apparent suicides. Yes they say that numbers are down since 2006 – but again 2006 – 8 is labour so no credits for national.
                      Prisoner on Prisoner assault up, but no mention on Prisoner to Staff Assaults – no stats provided.

                      http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/674772/ar-corrections-2010-11.pdf

                      2010/2011
                      Page 13
                      serious assaults Prisoner on Prisoner and Prisoner – Staff up
                      but seriously down compared to 1997/8 (?)

                      Page 18
                      unnatural death up quite a bit (quote The rate of unnatural deaths in custody for the 2010/11
                      financial year was 0.14 per 100 prisoners, reflecting
                      an increase from last year. There have been a total of
                      12 unnatural deaths; seven remand and five sentenced
                      prisoners. All deaths in custody are subject to a
                      Coroner’s inquest. ) ouch.

                      2011/12
                      http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/633982/ar-corrections-2011-12.pdf
                      Page 20
                      serious assault Prisoner on Prisoner 48 (as 2010/11)
                      and Prisoner – Staff (18 up 7 compared to 2010/11)

                      no information on unnatural death or suicide (did not find it)

                      2012/13
                      Page 17
                      unnatural death – suicide
                      3 unnatural , 5 suicide

                      Page 20
                      serious assault Prisoner On Prisoner – no number mentioned but the graph goes well above the 50
                      Prisoner – Staff 13

                      2013/2014
                      unnatural death – suicide (now named selfharm thread to life incidents (can I add an WTF?)
                      unnatural death 3
                      selfharm thread to life incidents 17

                      assaults Prisoner on Prisoner down from the previous year no only over 40
                      assaults Prisoner on Staff – down to 7

                      So I can’t see how you can celebrate anything as being down, cause clearly it is not.

                      Your blogpost only shows a little graphic to 2006/07 (Labour btw) and then only claims that things are down.

                      Now I have linked to each of the anual reports. And no the stats are not looking good, especially the assaults Prisoner on Prisoner stats, and the ‘selfharm to life incidents’.

                      I guess the dead guy and the guy with the broken ankle and leg would fall under the selfharm to life incidents.

                      Seriously BM, i can understand Party Loyalty and wanting to be a good little follower. But really if you link to a blog post you should make sure that the data mentioned is not easily available as facts have a clearly liberal bias.

                • Kaplan

                  “meeting the criteria set by the government”
                  There is your problem.

                  • dukeofurl

                    Thats what they said about Novapay !

                    Then it was found to be a dog that couldnt be fixed and the government had to’ buy it back’

                    When I heard those aussie voices speaking for Serco, I knew instantly they were never going to win the PR war.

                    Its only a matter of time till their contract is dumped. The public will not listen to those shit faced aussies trying to explain

                • Sabine

                  So you are saying other prisons do it too? Care to link to the articles in the NZ Herald that state the state run prisons where a severly injured prisoner was driven up north to be dumped on another prison to die there?

                  So you are saying its the Officers fault? Not the fault of managment who sets the staff level, and the roosters, and you know ….Manages…. the place?

                  And because there are drugs and fighting in every Prison its okai for Serco and it is equally ok for the state run prisons?

                  And you would be equally happy if this would happen under a labour government or a green government? Right?

                  And why do you have an issue with a ” Union” pointing out that men are dying in state care? Because once they enter a prison they are in the care of the state, regardless of anything.

                  Consider that supposedlyt Serco is providing a better and cheaper service. How can that be, when we have one men in hospital being treated for a broken leg and ankle (again the taxpayer pays for this treatment) and another one is dead? How can Serco provide a ‘better’ service when essentially they are not better then public run prisons?

                  Or are you just trying to derail a discussion about a dead man (that should under no circumstances be dead) and a badly injured man with your crying about evil Unions that talk about stuff that you don’t like they talk about.

                  But really why do you support Serco? Because so far you are only sprouting talking points. Surely you have your own mind and are able to form your own ideas about right and wrong?

                  • ianmac

                    Great work there @1:22 Sabine. Must have taken you ages. The myth that things are improving is busted.

            • maui 8.1.1.1.1.2

              Some seriously embarrassing spin lines coming out today. Ask the majority of the public if they’re happy with Serco running Mt Eden.

            • Molly 8.1.1.1.1.3

              You read puff pieces and use that as your decision making basis?

              Shallow research leads to shallow analysis BM.

            • ankerawshark 8.1.1.1.1.4

              BM I think it is pretty obvious Serco have been lying and covering up (e.g. sending a seriously injured prison to another prison rather than hospital). In the last day or so the SErco boses have even lied to the Minister………….

        • dukeofurl 8.1.1.2

          Didnt you know ? walls have ears!

          • Sabine 8.1.1.2.1

            you know, i really really would like to know why BM and his mates are actually ok with their government waste money like this.

            I would assume that they pay taxes, it is these taxes that any government gets to spend on services like healthcare, education, national defense, and funds our prison system.

            So clearly, If I were a National supporter, I would expect that Mr. Lotu Liga would be a. Tasked to fix it, pronto, or get out of here and make space for someone who will fix it. I would expect that the HeadHoncho for Serco called in to office for a reading of the riot act, and then I expect the company to be charged the penalties for a. letting alcohol, drugs and phones in to a prison. b. charge the penalties for allowing ‘fightclubs’, c. charge the penalties for allowing prisoners to be ‘slipped, tripped, stumbled over balustrades and staircases’.
            Then I would expect that the government requests a full review of the procedures, rule and regulations in regards to running this prison and then I would expect changes to be implemented, starting with an increase in Guards to assure the safety not only of prisoners but also of the Guards.
            And if Serco can’t provide the service they get the boot. Same as with any other service provider that can’t get it done.

            But no, they insist in paying good money for shoddy service and are only upset about the fact that someone calls them out of it.

            Talk about throwing good money after bad money.

        • ankerawshark 8.1.1.3

          ffs BM…………………..blaming the unions is woeful

    • adam 8.2

      Joy here we go, BM building straw men again.

      You forget, a little thing called internet which means the little box you are writing into, is also the little box others can write into. Funny how families who have suffered at the hands of serco, happen to actually talking to each other, and a pretty solid outline has formed of the villainous behaviour of serco – in their desire to make a profit.

      It’s not a conspiracy BM you idiot – it’s the fact this company, and other privately run prisons like it, have a track record of amoral behaviour, essentially on the back of a mad rush to embrace cupidity.

    • Tracey 8.3

      yeah bm… they will put themselves at risk just to make national look bad.

      up there for thinking bm
      down there for dancing.

  9. NZJester 9

    So he and the others accidentally tripped or fell, well that story could be credible if you give them a lot of reasonable doubt. The part that they can not easily explain away with them being accidents is why they then transported the prisoners badly injured to another prison instead of being immediately taken to a hospital to be treated?
    Even if it was an accident there is no way that you send a badly injured person to another prison instead of a hospital.
    Just that alone is reason to charge those who run the prison with negligence.

  10. freedom 10

    Two points to ponder
    Firstly, the staff levels at Mount Eden Corrections Facility are obviously very different to the information that was presented to the Law and Order Committee back in 2011
    http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDwQFjACOApqFQoTCND8gO658sYCFYMupgodQzMD4Q&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parliament.nz%2Fresource%2Fen-nz%2F50SCLO_ADV_00DBHOH_BILL11157_1_A242780%2Ffef31f3fac5be94569b3508eb987d299520d7205&ei=2H6xVdCwE4PdmAXD5oyIDg&usg=AFQjCNGAooF0JWnBdVENhTn62twquIp6Kg&bvm=bv.98476267,d.dGY

    Corrections Amendment Bill 2011 – Department of
    Corrections Responses to Questions from the Law and
    Order Committee for Consideration at its Meeting on 29
    May 2012

    Staffing numbers at the new Mount Eden Corrections Facility are slightly lower than the combined staff complements of Mount Eden Prison (MEP) and Auckland Central Remand Prison (ACRP). This is made possible by the integration of MEP and ACRP, Serco’s flatter management structure, as well as the significant advantages created by the modern buildings, sophisticated electronic security and the level of observation afforded by the 1300 security cameras on site.
    The following table outlines staffing ratios at MECF in comparison to prisons across the Department’s estate:

    Site Staffing Ratio
    (Staff: Prisoners)
    MECF under Serco 1: 4.95
    Department’s own staffing model for the
    combined Mt Eden Prison and ACRP 1: 3.79
    Spring Hill 1: 3.46

    Which brings us to the second point
    As outlined in the above answer to the Law and Order Committee, Mount Eden Corrections Facility has “1300 security cameras on site”.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/279553/inmate%27s-father-says-serco-should-go
    “Mr Littleton said when he and his wife asked about security cameras they were told by Serco there were none in that area, which they also found surprising.”

    “None in that area…” ?

    so if cctv is not not near the cells where the initial attack is said to have been initiated, and cctv is not on the walkways outside the cells or down below where the prisoners congregate and where the prisoner sustained his leg injuries, where exactly are the “1300 security cameras on site.”?

    Perhaps the Serco bosses, or the Minister or maybe the PM would like to explain ?

    • ianmac 10.1

      Maybe those cameras happen to be non-functional at times of trouble?

      • freedom 10.1.1

        Serco probably should have said that ianmac, at least it would have given them some wriggle room.

        But for some bizarre reason they went with the ‘no cameras in the area’ option, a statement of questionable integrity given there are “1300 cameras on site” and is also refuted by the photographic evidence, as seen in the first two images accompanying this article, which I am told is indicative of the population areas.
        http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/4853262/Mt-Eden-prison-hailed-as-fantastic-facility

        Given their scale and position, the stem cameras in the images are most likely to be multi-lens units with multi-directional (360 degree) viewing of the areas they surveil.

        “1300 cameras on site” for 900+ inmates yet “there were none in that area” ?

  11. emergency mike 11

    I’m hearing the above John Key quote in a mafia godfather voice paraphrased as: “This death is a tragedy. The way I hear it, he tripped over a balcony. It’s just terrible. But you know, accidents happen.”

    And it’s not amusing me.

  12. Gruntie 12

    “One of the claims that had been made, I think, was that someone had been thrown off a balcony – in fact, actually, Serco say that the person jumped off the balcony, or tripped or fell

    Oh well that’s that sorted.”

    Story of the last 7 years

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