Waikeria riot: Climbing prisoner numbers collide with fires wiping out 250 beds
12 Jan, 2021 03:50 AM
4 minutes to read
The top jail has been completely destroyed and can no longer be used, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis said. Video / Brett Phibbs / Mark Coote
The top jail has been completely destroyed and can no longer be used, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis said. Video / Brett Phibbs / Mark Coote
The prison population has surged by hundreds since Christmas, just as an entire high-security complex was destroyed in mayhem at Waikeria. If the muster continues to increase, we re going to have difficulty finding the right beds, Corrections Association president Alan Whitley said today.
At a press conference tonight Corrections Chief Executive Jeremy Lightfoot acknowledged that successive Ombudsman reports found prisoners did not have access to the complaints process. Prison abolitionist group People Against Prisons Aotearoa, who have been .
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand is calling on the Minister for Corrections Kelvin Davis to ensure all measures are taken to address the situation at Waikeria Prison to protect the human rights of all people involved.
All people, including those living and working in a prison, deserve to be treated with dignity. Any response to the events unfolding – including the use of force – must still be legal, necessary and proportionate. De-escalation techniques must be used first and foremost and must respect the life and physical integrity of both detainees and prison officers.
The protesters in detention have already raised concerns about inhumane treatment. Further denying the humanity of all involved through tactics such as using excessive force, or withholding food and water, will only escalate an already difficult situation.
Following the surrender of the protesters at Waikeria Prison we call on Corrections and Police to not press additional charges against the men who have.