Prison boss still has car
because you take people out one-byone and don’t replace them . . . it’s pretty shocking.’’
The disruption and distress to residents would be huge, Shearer said. Anglican Care could help by paying residents out for their ORAs, plus the difference of finding a unit at another retirement village, she said.
Ritchie said the earthquakes had caused significant damage to some buildings, making them uneconomic to repair. Approaches to other providers to take over the complexes had been unsuccessful.
‘‘We are still keen to find a buyer for either or both sites as going concerns,’’ Ritchie said.
‘‘In the meantime we are committed to the wellbeing of our residents and staff, and will meet all our obligations to them.’’
Anglican Care started offering residential care 66 years ago. Ritchie said other commercial providers were able to offer services much more cost effectively today. The boss of one of New Zealand’s largest prisons still has use of his work car more than a year after he was placed on leave with full pay.
Christchurch Men’s Prison director John Roper, security manager John Cooper and residential unit manager Doug Smith have been on leave on full pay since an inquiry into security issues was launched in May last year.
The investigation – dubbed a ‘‘security review’’ – unearthed ‘‘extremely serious allegations’’ relating to a ‘‘number of substandard management and security practices’’ at the jail.
On Monday, Corrections regional commissioner Ben Clarke confirmed Roper still had access to his work car.
‘‘When a staff member is subject to an investigation they remain entitled to the existing terms and conditions of their employment.
‘‘In this case the prison director has access to a departmental vehicle in the course of their employment, and for limited personal use for travel to and from work and incidental stops between these locations.’’
Matters relating to the security review at the prison were almost complete, Clarke said.
Roper declined to comment when contacted yesterday.
A source close to the prison said it was ‘‘bloody ridiculous’’ Roper still had the vehicle. ‘‘Somebody else could be using it. The contract needs to be rewritten.’’
The review found elite guards and dog handlers used unauthorised listening devices to spy on inmates.
A senior gang member was given access to a cellphone during a covert information-gathering operation.
In June, Stuff revealed people may have been prosecuted or denied parole based on information prison staff gathered illegally using covert listening devices.