Family push for change
The family of a man who died after being attacked in his jail cell are still waiting for answers about what happened to him, while their push for change to the prison system gains momentum.
Bradley King was assaulted by his Manawatu¯ Prison cellmate on February 11 and died of his injuries in Wellington Hospital a fortnight later.
His grieving family have petitioned Parliament for a select committee inquiry into the death and yesterday travelled to Wellington to meet with opposition politicians and hand over the petition. ‘‘We want change. We don’t want Bradley’s death to be in vain,’’ Bradley’s mother Jude told Stuff on the steps of Parliament.
‘‘We don’t want him to be a statistic. We are doing this for Brad and for those who come behind us, because our family believe that Brad won’t be the last death in prison.
‘‘We’re really putting ourselves out there to do this, because we are private people.’’
Jude and Bradley’s sisters Jo and Mel – Bradley’s twin sister Bridget was too sick to make the trip – were met by National’s justice spokesman Simeon Brown and fellow National MPS Nick Smith and Mark Mitchell.
The King family gave the MPS the petition, while expressing disappointment Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis had said he couldn’t meet with them until May or June.
Bradley was 36 and in custody for the first time facing burglary charges. He planned to plead guilty to three.
Police have launched a homicide inquiry. A man has been charged with wounding Bradley with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and is due to appear in the Dannevirke District Court next month.
Jude said a month on from her son’s death the family was still in the dark about what happened to him.
The Department of Corrections had finished an internal ‘‘operational review’’ and the family wanted to see it.
They hoped a select committee inquiry would spark change in the prison system so there wasn’t a repeat of Bradley’s death.
‘‘At the moment we’re in a holding pattern.
‘‘If we don’t know what happened, we’ve got no closure. It’s awful ...
‘‘We’re doing [the petition] for those who come behind us.
‘‘It’s such a horrific thing to go through. We don’t want any other family to have to go through what we have.’’
Mel King said the family had a right to know what happened. The silence so far was a ‘‘slap in the face’’.
She asked why it had taken Bradley’s death for a spotlight to shine on the failings within the prison system.
‘‘Bradley’s life has been cut short. He’s had all his choices taken away from him, getting married and having children and things like that. It’s just not fair and it’s not right.’’
Brown said Bradley’s death was an example of the wider violence problem within New Zealand’s prisons.
‘‘We’re accepting your petition because we think that Bradley’s story needs to be told. It needs to be fully investigated. There needs to be answers to the questions you have.’’
The King family also met with ACT justice spokeswoman Nicole Mckee, who said their story was horrific.
She would like to see two select committee inquiries, one into Bradley’s death and one into the Corrections system.
Davis’ office has been contacted for comment.
‘‘It’s such a horrific thing to go through. We don’t want any other family to have to go through what we have.’’
Bradley’s mum, Jude