Just desserts

Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, August 16th, 2011 - 68 comments
Categories: prisons, privatisation - Tags:

The private operators of the new Mt Eden remand prison are using desserts as a reward for good behaviour. It seems to work. But the Right doesn’t know quite how to react: on one hand, it’s mollycoddling prisoners, on the other hand it’s a private operator being innovative. Imagine how they would have reacted if the public prisons started doing this.

Of course, there’s a problem. The private operators, Serco, are using cheap little ‘control’ devices like the desserts to reduce staff numbers. That’s how they make a profit, remember: by cutting their biggest overhead, which is wage costs.

Bribing the prisoners with treats might be fine while everything is quiet and the prisoners are thinking ‘should I give a bit of lip and lose my dessert or should I be good?’ but the second things go beyond that level and you’ve got to deal with out of control prisoners who don’t give a stuff about some dessert and you don’t have the staff present to control the situation.

Prison staff know what, and that’s why they’re leaving for Aussie in droves.

68 comments on “Just desserts ”

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  1. Jared 1
    16 August 2011 at 10:14 am

    According to other coverage of this “scandal” the “dessert” is only….
    a piece of fruit. I loathe to quote Kiwiblog, but a piece of fruit? really?
    A beat up by the Corrections Union no less. Move on.

  2. her 2
    16 August 2011 at 10:22 am

    I’ve heard reports from Dakta Green who is in the new Mt Eden

    He says they don’t get enough to eat.
    There aren’t any cups so they can’t have cupasoups brought in from outside.
    He is not getting his prescribed heart medicine regularly.

    Is this how a civilized country would act?

    Very harsh punishment for an older man who hasn’t done anything wrong.

    You can send letters and support to

    Dakta Green
    Private Bag 92625
    Symonds St
    Auckland 1150

    Free Dakta Green

    • chris73 2.1
      16 August 2011 at 11:28 am

      If he hasn’t done anything wrong then whys he in jail?

      • insider 2.1.1
        16 August 2011 at 11:32 am

        No clue who Dakta Green is, but being on remand is not proof of guilt. That said, you’d expect people on remand are either a danger to society, have a high risk of offending, flight risks or the accusation and initial evidence is so significant that it is reasonable to keep them confined.

        • chris73 2.1.1.1
          16 August 2011 at 11:44 am

          The only thing thats a problem is not getting heart medicine, everything else hes saying just sounds like whinging

          • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1.1
            16 August 2011 at 11:47 am

            You’d say that if he only had a small tin pot to piss and shit in, so why listen to you?

            • chris73 2.1.1.1.1.1
              16 August 2011 at 12:08 pm

              Actually dip-shit I wouldn’t. You put a number of people in unsanitary conditions and they get sick which takes more money, time and resources to look after prisoners.

              So no I think adequate toilet, plumbing and washing facilities are important, I do however think that complaining about not being able to have a cup of soup is whinging

              • mik e …
                16 August 2011 at 12:13 pm

                Well maybe they could get a job at treasury where every thing is put on for you so you can agree with the major banks financial solution for our country while they take even bigger profits overseas!

              • Deadly_NZ …
                16 August 2011 at 4:53 pm

                Who is Dakta Green?. I’ll give you the link.
                http://thedaktory.org.nz/category/dakta-green/

              • Deadly_NZ …
                16 August 2011 at 5:01 pm

                You lot do realise that they boast of feeding the prisioners on about 79 cents a day, Now you can imagine the quality of the gristle and fat you get for that, Most of the prisons grow their own vege’s but they are boiled until the goodness is all boiled out and tipped down the sink. Healthy people get sick in there. But when you are sick to begin with and they fuck with your medication, then one would have to ask if he dies would they be arrested for not providing the necessities of life? ie his medication. and they dont give a fuck.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  16 August 2011 at 5:13 pm

                  And it’s not as if 90% of these prisoners aren’t going to be released into a neighbourhood near you in the next 5 years, is it.

                  That’s just one reason why it is stupid to punitively damage these people because society will end up paying more one way or another.

                  Prison is about the removal of freedoms to participate in society and a chance for people to get serious about sorting out their lives. It’s not about exploitative hard labour, starvation and beatings as per the 1800’s.

                  The Criminal University system of our modern prisons is not working.

                  • terryg …
                    16 August 2011 at 5:38 pm

                    CV, there you are wrong. Its working very well – as a criminal university.

                    Of course its an utter failure when considering the role it ought to be playing, which you so eloquently summarised.

                  • freedom …
                    16 August 2011 at 7:34 pm

                    “The Criminal University system of our modern prisons is not working”

                    or it is working very very well
                    and everything that is, has been planned for
                    but i am just being cynical
                    or am i ?

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      16 August 2011 at 7:37 pm

                      True. But actually, what should I care as long as I can buy dividend paying shares in the residential establishment?

                      😛

                  • millsy …
                    17 August 2011 at 10:18 am

                    Speaking of ‘Criminal University’ — A few years ago I was reading a book written by a guy who did some time in the UK, and in it he describes how some of his fellow inmates were sharing tips on how to carry out an armed robbery — apparently there is a wrong way and a right way to do it.

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.2
        16 August 2011 at 11:46 am

        chris73 you just did a blatant troll, circumventing the issue of proper humane treatment of remand inmates to jump on the bandwagon of punitive.

        • chris73 2.1.2.1
          16 August 2011 at 12:14 pm

          Stick it up your arse you tosser, who are you to say what is and isn’t trolling.

          Its not trolling because you say its trolling, I wrote it because he sounds like hes whinging

          I dont think not being able to have a cup of soup is punitive and I’m betting he gets more to eat then a lot of people in this country

          • felix 2.1.2.1.1
            16 August 2011 at 12:28 pm

            You do realise being on remand means you’re still innocent in the eyes of the law, right?

            Actually you probably don’t.

            • chris73 2.1.2.1.1.1
              16 August 2011 at 12:39 pm

              To be honest I couldn’t care less about some ex-hippy but I thought I’d see who this guy was:

              http://thedaktory.org.nz/new-zealand/dakta-green-sentenced-to-8-months/

              All I see is a guy thats flouted the law, been found guilty and sentenced to prison

              Now maybe I could do some more searching and find out hes on remand but really hes not worth any more time or effort on my part to do so

              • felix …
                16 August 2011 at 12:45 pm

                Irrelevant, I was referring to the comments you made after infused said he was on remand and before you looked that up.

              • freedom …
                16 August 2011 at 12:54 pm

                chris 73
                i would bet vast, extreme and even large sums of money that you have not a clue about the facts of Marijuana, especially the contemporary issues let alone understand how the ‘evil’ of its use came about. What is funny is the extremely close relationship that the criminalisation of this natural weed has with one of the principal sources of your information, Newspapers.

                I present two important pieces of information you may want to look into for your elucidation.

                1: untill the early 20th Century it was financially difficult to survive in the Agricultural Industry of the USA if a farmer did NOT grow Hemp.

                2: Randalph Hearst Industries

                • chris73 …
                  16 August 2011 at 1:04 pm

                  So as long as you think a law is wrong its ok to break it?

                  If its part of your religion but against the law its ok to break it?

                  Whether or not I agree with the law is not the point, we have laws and you follow them or pay the consequences

                  But then as Labour like to flout the laws themselves I suppose I can’t really blame you lefties for thinking its ok

                  Monkey see monkey do

                  http://whaleoil.gotcha.co.nz/index.php/2011/08/a-response-from-the-electoral-commission/

                  • Bored …
                    16 August 2011 at 1:18 pm

                    Chris, may I suggest the blubbery stuff washes off well with a high pressure steam jet. Infections may take longer, I hear the lovely NACTs upped the part charge for prescriptions, but there you have it. If you will insist on using a URL containing thse words you ought to try this one, it comes with a health warning for obvious reasons. It also gives you some indication of the mental calibre you are dealing with.

                    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Whale%20Oil

                    • chris73 …
                      16 August 2011 at 1:28 pm

                      May I suggest you read what the electoral commission have to say, you may find it interesting especially the part where they say they’re going to refer it to the police

                    • Bored …
                      16 August 2011 at 1:35 pm

                      Chris, go take a shower and wash off the cretaceous slime. I read the article and await the Police to act or not act. Until then take a break.

                  • KJT …
                    16 August 2011 at 1:41 pm

                    Whale never broke any court orders. Of course.

                  • freedom …
                    16 August 2011 at 7:37 pm

                    so that’s a no on the bet then chris73,,

                    damn i could have used the coin

                    • chris73 …
                      17 August 2011 at 9:20 am

                      Just like cocaine used to be added to coca-cola, just like fanta was thought up in nazi germany, just like vibrators were used to treat hysterical women, just like the rule of thumb meant you could beat your wife with a stick no bigger then your thumb

                      As interesting as the above is, its completely irrelevent to the arguement, just like your bet

                      Times have changed and this guy was deliberately flouting the law and hes paid the price

              • prism …
                16 August 2011 at 8:04 pm

                chris73 That’s very revealing about NACT attitudes to other citizens.
                Q.’What do you think about the difficulties some NZs are having?
                A. Well, you’ve just reminded me that I don’t give a shit.’

                • chris73 …
                  17 August 2011 at 9:22 am

                  Well I thank your for the compliment but I’m pretty sure I don’t represent all NACT attitudes

                  If I did the welfare changes would be going a lot further

          • Vicky32 2.1.2.1.2
            16 August 2011 at 5:15 pm

            I dont think not being able to have a cup of soup is punitive and I’m betting he gets more to eat then a lot of people in this country

            On 79c a day? Even you can’t be that stupid…

            • chris73 2.1.2.1.2.1
              16 August 2011 at 5:20 pm

              Well theres a few people on this site that talk about starving children, children eating cockroaches, children going without etc etc

              If the above is true then prisoners do get more to eat but if its not true then the lefties on here are repeating lies

              So which is it?

            • Colonial Viper 2.1.2.1.2.2
              16 August 2011 at 5:24 pm

              Vicky, its clearly a lifestyle choice.

              That’s also how they cheat with the inflation figures, using the “substitution” rationale. EG You used to eat steak but that got expensive. So you now have mince instead. Mince got expensive too, so now you have cat food. Because you are largely able to avoid food price increases by ‘substituting’ other foods every time food prices go up, Treasury only counts part of those price rises, making inflation look smaller than it should be.

              After all, you still get something called “dinner” without paying that much more. 😈

      • mik e 2.1.3
        16 August 2011 at 1:43 pm

        Cos he wasn’t selling Kronic which has killed 1 person this year wasn’t selling alcohol which kills 550 people per year + does $5to6billion damage to our economy wastes 55% of police time. he wasn’t selling tobacco which kills 5,000 per year billions worth of damage .

    • Vicky32 2.2
      16 August 2011 at 5:11 pm

      He is not getting his prescribed heart medicine regularly.

      That’s evil and dangerous… 🙁

    • simon c 2.3
      16 August 2011 at 6:24 pm

      What the hell is he doing using a narcotic when he’s on heart medication?
      All that pot has addled his brain!
      He’s an idiot!

  3. Rob 3
    16 August 2011 at 11:17 am

    From what I was able to work out the dessert is fruit and the scheme is used in some of our public prisons too so not really innovative it just happens that the private prison does it also.

  4. Galeandra 4
    16 August 2011 at 12:28 pm

    chris73 wash your mouth out for a start.
    Whinging about someone else’s idea of hardship and getting all active-aggressive makes you sound like a RWNJ. And yes, you are a troll- who are you to say what is or isn’t trolling? You’re a RWNJ.

    • chris73 4.1
      16 August 2011 at 12:33 pm

      The term troll is used far too often on blogs, “you said something I don’t like you must be a troll”

      “who are you to say what is or isn’t trolling?” – I’m pretty damn sure that I know if I’m trolling or not so yeah if someone says I’m trolling I’ll let them know in no uncertain terms that I’m not trolling

      • felix 4.1.1
        16 August 2011 at 12:41 pm

        No, you get called a troll because it looks like you’re writing obviously dumb comments in order to provoke a reaction.

        I don’t believe for a moment that you could possibly be stupid enough to believe most of the crap you post.

        • chris73 4.1.1.1
          16 August 2011 at 12:53 pm

          Did it ever occur to you that maybe you’re just a twat? And that you can’t possibly comprehend that anyone may have a different view then yours?

          • freedom 4.1.1.1.1
            16 August 2011 at 12:59 pm

            you think denying the ownership of a cup is a decent way to treat people in remand. Wow. way to show your colours chris73.. by the way, no one is saying “that anyone may have a different view then yours’ is difficult to understand.

            we all have differnet views , that is what makes a community so grand. What many are saying though, is the different view you are positing is one favoured by small insignificant bigoted and usually ignorant socially bereft callous and inconsiderate molluscs.

            see the difference?

            • chris73 4.1.1.1.1.1
              16 August 2011 at 1:12 pm

              Personally I think whether he has a cup or not is not really a big deal

              “What many are saying though, is the different view you are positing is one favoured by small insignificant bigoted and usually ignorant socially bereft callous and inconsiderate molluscs.”

              – Now thats just mean

              Especially since this site has more bile, venom and nastiness on it then any of the other blogs I look at (which admittidly is only a few) but hey its all for the greater good right

              and as for callous and ignorant you might want to check this out:

              http://whaleoil.gotcha.co.nz/index.php/2011/08/meet-pat-newman-part-two/

              • Bored …
                16 August 2011 at 1:20 pm

                Will you stop trying to spread the infection. Cetaceous diseases are not apreciated round here. See comments above.

              • freedom …
                16 August 2011 at 1:30 pm

                when i started reading your reply i thought, good, he saw the over the top expression was simply covering the humour inherent in the use of molluscs, who we all know are wonderful caring highly developed social creatures with nary a poor word to say about anybody.

                then i read on and see you didn’t get it, which is a shame

                also, The Standard tops your bile list ? you gotta get out more
                and the newman comments? if they are from him, are weak tea, bitter weak tea but nothing that wan’t printed in every newspaper in the country, and his points are quite valid even if a bit hypocritical as Labour has had its share of issues with this same subject. By the way, what did happen with the young Nats call for prioity funding to stop Youth Suicide? I do not recall hearing their proposal was adopted by the Party faithful at the weekend.

                • chris73 …
                  16 August 2011 at 1:35 pm

                  No I did, I just didn’t think it was very funny

                  What I mean is compared to kiwiblog or whaleoil this site is full of spiteful little kids hiding behind their keyboards, yet posters on here will say how vile and toxic those sites are

                  “By the way, what did happen with the young Nats call for prioity funding to stop Youth Suicide? I do not recall hearing their proposal was adopted by the Party faithful at the weekend.”
                  – I have no idea so I can’t comment

                  • freedom …
                    16 August 2011 at 1:45 pm

                    i was not trying to be very funny, just funny

                    if i was wanting to be very funny i would say , . . , well i would start with , . . anything regarding the details of forecasted employment growth and projected reductions in costs from the privatisation of prisons as taken from any of Bill English’s budgets!

                    as basil brush would say: boom boom

  5. aerobubble 5
    16 August 2011 at 2:42 pm

    Prisons isolate people from society, even home detention is isolation punishment.

    So it stands to reason that rehabiliating prisoners by rewarding good behavior
    via interaction and activity to be the correct way to handle prisoners.

    Similarly with the unemployed, work camps and work for the dole are not
    rewarding, they are humilating. Skilling the unemployed for the work
    environment should be fun and rewarding.

    so of course Corrections must stop immediately, they are treating prisoners
    better than the unemployed. Note whether or not they are getting a benefit,
    WINZ should be helping all unemployed people.

  6. Treetop 6
    16 August 2011 at 6:42 pm

    Dessert probably is a cheap unit of food and acts as a filler.

    I heard on radio last week that Mt Eden remand prison was understaffed.

    • prism 6.1
      16 August 2011 at 8:12 pm

      treetop I think understaffing was in the Union’s mind connected to the desserts in this way. The dessert and other privileges are being used to keep things in the prison sweet and with no aggro there is a case for reducing staffing. But the prison officers feel that they don’t have the right number to be able to cope when anything goes wrong which increases the possibility of them being injured.

      • Treetop 6.1.1
        16 August 2011 at 8:29 pm

        When there is a riot, to bring control back, the dessert trolley will be wheeled out.

        Low staffing levels is being negligent and foolhardy.

  7. IdriveBMWs 7
    16 August 2011 at 10:12 pm

    Couldn’t agree with you more chris

  8. Bored 8
    16 August 2011 at 11:00 pm

    BMWs are so naff, the government is selling of a whole pile of them. Get a real car. Enjoy driving it while there is still oil.

  9. millsy 9
    17 August 2011 at 10:15 am

    What gets me is how rednecks go on and on about prison being a ‘holiday camp’ etc.

    Show me a holiday camp where I have to look over my shoulder all the time in case one of my fellow holidaymakers want to stick me with a homemade knife.