Inquiry at jail after claims
Amajor investigation has been carried out at Auckland South Corrections Facility (ASCF) after concerns were raised about the level of violence within the prison. The investigation was launched after a number of specific and general allegations were made by prisoners at the facility and a visitor to the site who made observations between May and October.
The allegations and the details of the people who made them have been kept secret by the Department of Corrections, which released a report last week after the investigation by its Inspectorate Office.
But it appears the allegations included organised fights, staff using excessive force and neglecting prisoner safety, and a huge delay with the internal complaints system which was causing anxiety and anger among inmates.
The report reveals that the investigators were looking at, among other things, whether organised fight clubs existed at the prison and whether staff were dealing with reports of violence appropriately.
During the investigation inspectors interviewed a number of inmates, including some who had suffered “suspicious injuries”, along with prison staff including management, custodial, health, human resources and administration.
The inspectors also reviewed electronic data including CCTV footage, cell alarms and phone calls, and spoke with inmates’ family members.
“The investigation found that there was no evidence of any planned/organised fighting amongst prisoners,” said the report, published on the Corrections’ website.
“There is however evidence that fights do occur between prisoners for a variety of reasons . . . due to stand-overs, boredom, gambling debts, jealousy, personal, gangs.
“New Zealand prisons, including ASCF, have a zero-tolerance attitude towards violence, however, it is acknowledged and not unexpected that there are elements of violencerelated incidents in every prison ... ”
The investigation found ASCF management was “proactively dealing with any reported violent incidents” including “sparring and shadow boxing”.
The inspectors said a contributing factor to violence in the prison was “high levels of anxiety and frustration” caused by “issues with the ineffective complaints process, lengthy delays in accessing their property and restricted reintegration interventions”.
The inspectors recommended that additional resources be dedicated to improving and expediting the formal complaints process at the prison; making it more robust, with fewer delays.
The inspectors said there was no evidence to support claims of fight clubs, staff neglecting inmate safety or excessive force by staff on inmates.
The inspectors made a number of recommendations including “immediately assigning additional resources to review and amend their local complaints process, ensuring all staff are trained and prisoners are informed to any changes that have been implemented”.