Assaults, drugs rife — jail report

Damning Ombudsman’s report on Spring Hill Prison finds half of inmates feel unsafe

One third of the inmates surveyed in a Waikato prison where drugs are widespread claim to have been assaulted and half feel unsafe, a damning new Ombudsman’s report reveals.

Spring Hill Prison opened near Meremere in 2007 and holds 1038 male prisoners with security classifications from minimum to high.

It was originally designed to hold 650 prisoners. Double-bunking was introduced in 2010, and remand prisoners were introduced.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier yesterday released his office’s report on an unannounced inspection carried out under the Crimes of Torture Act 1989.

Boshier noted weaknesses in record-keeping and monitoring needed to assure safe operation, particularly in relation to use of force, segregation and management of atrisk prisoners.

Prisoner responses to a questionnaire and an interview with the prison director revealed an increase in violence, including prisoner-onprisoner assaults.

There was also a “pervasive influence” of new psychoactive substances that mimic the effects of drugs such as cannabis and heroin.

Fifty-four per cent of prisoners surveyed said they felt unsafe in the prison at some time, and 48 per cent felt unsafe at the time of inspection.

A third claimed they had been assaulted, but only one in three of those assaulted reported it.

“Prisoners stated that they had no confidence that any action would be taken,” Boshier noted in his report.

“Prisoners were also critical about many aspects of life at the prison, including their ability to obtain sufficient clothing, bedding and toiletries as well as arrangements for access to their property, and mail distribution.”

Time spent out of cells was limited for high-security prisoners and those on voluntary segregation and remand, with 39 per cent of prisoners surveyed saying they spent less than four hours out of their cell each day.

“This was compounded by having two prisoners in cells originally designed for one, and prisoners being required to eat all meals in their cell,” Boshier noted.

The report found there was a range of constructive activities available to inmates, and access to the library and gym was reasonable depending on security classification.

Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford said the report highlighted the need for regular monitoring of prisons.

“It is important that we have a detention system that is transparent and accountable when it comes to how they treat some of our society’s most vulnerable.”

Budget 2017 set aside more than $1 billion over four years to help cope with the booming prison population.

The total passed 10,000 inmates last year, with the Government planning to spend billions on prisons and looking at double-bunking and reopening closed wings.