Little house built in the big house
In this great escape from Rimutaka Prison, it wasn’t an inmate who cleared the razor-wire but a whole house.
Built by eight prisoners for Housing New Zealand, the twobedroom home is destined for a site in Lower Hutt.
With a large crowd of nervous officials watching, the dwelling was gingerly lifted over the wire and onto the back of a waiting truck yesterday.
The house was built under supervision of WelTec staff, who run six trade programmes at the Upper Hutt prison.
Rimutaka Prison director Viv Whelan said the project was a significant one.
‘‘Not only is this the first house to be built in the prison, it also provides hope for a positive future for the men who built it, and for the family who will live in it,’’ she said.
‘‘The men now have practical, hands-on experience backed up with a qualification that will help them into employment on release.’’
One person who understood the importance of gaining a qualification was one of the prisoners – who cannot be named – completing a WelTec course. A first-time inmate, he was working on getting a plumbing qualification that he hoped would help him find a job in the agriculture sector.
He accepted that he had made a mistake and said he did not want to waste his time in prison.
The public had the wrong impression of prisoners. Just about everyone in prison would one day get out and the best way of making sure they did not return was finding them a job, he added.
If he was not studying, he would be back in his cell doing nothing. He would be ‘‘an idiot’’ to turn down the opportunity of free education.
Rimutaka MP and Education Minister Chris Hipkins said upskilling prisoners meant they were less likely to reoffend. It also helped deal with the ‘‘wider ‘‘ issue of the property crisis.
The Government plans to build 300 new houses in the Hutt Valley and thousands nationally. He acknowledged there was a ‘‘huge’’ skill shortage and supported Kiwis being trained to do the work.
Prisoners are now building a second home and Hipkins said the scheme had the potential to supply houses on a larger scale.
It was also good to see Housing NZ, Corrections and education providers working together.