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The NZ National Coalition Government has proposed privatisation of NZ prisons following the defeat of Labour in 2008. The Maori Party shares power with National and has been offered a separate 60 prisoner new jail by the government.
The multinational corporation GEO previously known as Wackenhut had controlled Mt Eden jail, called the Auckland Central Remand Prison. They also run Junee prison in NSW amongst others. The Select Committee on Law and Order received submissions and that has been the forum for community expression, as the law needs to be changed.
NZ community organisations and prisoners asked for assistance for a consultation with NZ prisoners and brought a Justice Action Coordinator from Australia to help. JA wrote to the Minister for a consultation. download She refused but the consultation occurred on May 4 2009. Prisoners, prison officers, the union and administrators were all involved.
Opposition to privatisation was clear and unequivocal. NZ Corrections agreed to put up a negotiated notice informing prisoners of the Inquiry before the Select Committee so they could respond, but then reneged. Justice Action presented its submission download and presented evidence to the Select Committee.
Prison officers told the Inquiry what really happened when GEO had been in charge. download That shocked everyone! The Government coalition partners threatened them. (see GEO briefing paper)
Media Release July 30, 2009 JUSTICE ACTION letterhead
NZ prisoners say No to Select Committee on Privatisation
In Wellington yesterday, before the Law & Order Select Committee, prisoners declared that privatisation was totally unacceptable, affecting their status as citizens in a democracy. It would reduce us to slaves in breach of ILO Convention 29, passing control of our lives to unaccountable multinationals said JA spokesperson Brett Collins.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins shows her lack of fresh ideas to deal with the resounding failure of prisons, by wishing to outsource this primary government function. She misses the point that people only change their behaviour when they are involved, so she cant treat prisoners like they dont exist if she wants to reduce crime. Crime is a community responsibility said JA Coordinator Michael Poynder.
Her contempt is clear. She refused the prisoner consultation arranged by community organisations in May saying the prisoners were too busy, had no suitable area or representatives. She refused to notify prisoners that they could write to the Select Committee. She and her staff were too busy to meet the representatives who had consulted about privatisation. Prisoners were denied the chance to address the Select Committee as no area was made available and the request to sit in Auckland was not read said Mr Collins.
We had significant meetings with other political parties on the issues, and most importantly were able to tell the Select Committee that we had reached agreement with the prison officers that we would work together to confront privatisation and on policy issues affecting OH&S and recidivism. No corporation would want to reduce crime when it affects their future profit said Mr Poynder.
The Select Committee heard compelling evidence of privatisations failure everywhere to deliver on the sales pitch, and the total opposition by all those involved. Lets hope that the Minister doesnt discover her authority isnt transferable in practice said Mr Collins.
Ex-con back behind bars to fight jail privatisation
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10570442Tuesday May 05, 2009
By Simon Collins
Brett Collins was allowed into Mt Eden Prison yesterday after initially being refused. Photo / Martin Sykes
The gates of Mt Eden Prison opened yesterday to a former convicted bank robber campaigning against privatising jails, despite an official statement that he would not be let in.
Ngaruawahia-born Brett Collins, who served 10 years in an Australian jail for a bank robbery, now leads Sydney-based Justice Action. The organisation helped to push the New South Wales Government into abandoning plans last Friday to privatise one of two state jails it had earmarked for private management.
Quakers paid for him to come to Auckland to speak at a public meeting last night against a bill allowing private management of New Zealand prisons. Submissions on the bill close on May 22.
He applied to the Corrections Department on April 26 for permission to talk about the bill with prisoner committees in Mt Eden and Paremoremo jails, but a department spokesman said yesterday morning that the visit was "not possible", partly because there were no elected committees of prisoners. But when Mr Collins turned up at the prison gates anyway at 2pm with three local activists, acting prison manager Gary Stock eventually gave the group an hour with four prisoners on the jail's welfare committee.
Mr Collins said the four prisoners and the prison officers he met all opposed privatisation, and the prisoners felt "resentful".
"They objected to multinationals coming in and making a profit out of them sitting longer in jail," he said.
Maori Party MP Hone Harawira was invited to speak in support of privatisation at last night's meeting, organised by Global Peace and Justice Auckland, but had another engagement.
He said he would not be particularly happy to see multinationals running a local jail - "but by the same token neither am I particularly happy to see the New Zealand Corrections Department running it".
"What would you suggest that the Maori Party did," he asked, "sit back and let things continue the way they are, or do what we can to change things?"
* On the web: www.justiceaction.org.au <http://www.justiceaction.org.au>
JUSTICE ACTION
Media release May 4, 2009
Mt Eden prisoners consultation on privatisation
Mt Eden prisoners will have the chance to consult with the Australian delegation on prison
privatisation today at 2pm at the prison.
Although Minister Judith Collins said last week that prisoners are too busy working, over five
hundred Mt Eden prisoners say that they are mostly locked in cages and cells, and do want to
consult on the issue.
Mt Eden Prison Manager Gary Stock has been asked to set aside an area in the prison for that
consultation to happen.
NZ community organisations paid for Justice Action Coordinator Brett Collins to visit to assist
the consultation. Last week Australian plans to privatise prisons were reversed after major
community opposition forced the government to change its mind.
Mr Collins and Green Party MP Metiria Turei will also speak at the GPJA forum today at
7.30pm at Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland chaired by John Minto.
The Minister of Corrections Judith Collins, and Maori Party MP Hone Harawira have been
invited or asked to provide representatives, to present the case supporting prison privatisation.
For Comments: Jim Gladwin 828 4517, Rose Hollins 828 0238 / 021 297 0875,
Brett Collins 0061 438705003
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