Staff, inmates ‘bugged’ at Chch prison, sources say

An investigation into security issues at Christchurch Men’s Prison was launched following allegations staff and inmates were bugged, prison sources say.

If the allegations are found to be correct and the bugging was unauthorised, the privacy rights of those who have been targeted may have been breached, a prominent lawyer says.

The Department of Corrections announced on Thursday it had launched an investigation into the potential ‘‘non-compliance’’ with ‘‘security procedures’’, but did not give further information.

The prison’s director, John Roper, who is on a final warning, and two senior staff are on ‘‘special leave’’ while the investigation is carried out.

Several independent sources said allegations had been made about methods being used to gather information about inmates and staff at the prison. It is understood phone calls may have been tapped and listening devices placed in cells. Yesterday, Corrections southern regional commissioner Ben Clark said it was ‘‘important we establish the facts’’, but would not answer a series of questions until the investigation concluded.

Any staff with concerns could contact Ray van Beynen, the director intelligence and operations, who was leading the inquiry.

In an email to staff on Thursday, Clark said there was ‘‘no suggestion’’ the prison’s security had been compromised, but it was ‘‘extremely important that all aspects of our security procedures are complied with’’.

Prominent lawyer and patron of the Howard League for Penal Reform Nigel Hampton QC, said a warrant was required to bug cells or listen to staff telephone calls. ‘‘I’m surprised that they are having to investigate such [allegations] because my expectation was that such things wouldn’t be taking place.’’

Last month, The Press reported that Roper and Doug Smith, the Matai unit manager, received employment warnings after an inmate at the prison self-harmed while left on his own for several hours in an exercise yard on June 21 last year. The incident took nine days to be flagged at a national level after local staff failed to report it.

Corrections launched an investigation into the security breach, but only after it received a letter from a whistleblower that shed light on the seriousness of what had happened.

The inquiry identified a series of failings and recommended an array of changes to the way prisoners were checked and managed. A deputy prison director role was recently created at the prison to bolster the under-fire management team.

Smith was the deputy leader of the infamous ‘‘goon squad’’, a group of prison guards that operated out of Canterbury and was disbanded in June 2000 amid complaints of bullying inmates and aggressive treatment of members.

Christchurch Men’s Prison is one of the country’s largest jails and houses about 900 prisoners.