PLAN FOR NATIONAL PRISON ABANDONED

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 10

PLAN FOR NATIONAL PRISON ABANDONED

(New Zeaiana Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Aug. 23. The plan tor a national prison centre at Waikeria intended to hold all of the country’s prison population has been virtually abandoned, according to the Secretary of Justice (Mr S. T. Barnett). Waikeria, instead, will be developed as a prison for young offenders, and will hold up to about 1000 in conditions ranging from full security down to open supervision, Mr Barnett said in Auckland at the week-end.

In 1952 a national prison scheme envisaged the eventual closing and transfer to Waikeria of existing prisons and reformative centres at Auckland, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Napier, Arohata (Wellington), and Invercargill. There would be maximum and minimum security prisons, “pre-release” prisons and Borstals.

“But in our calculations those few years ago we did not anticipate the high proportion of young offenders we have today,” said Mr Barnett

“We now find that the Waikeria development will be required to hold these young prisoners and our other prisons must continue as they have.”

Mr Barnett said he could see no end in sight for Auckland prison. The only existing full security institution, it was very overcrowded and could expect to be that way for another three years. By that time it was hoped that full custodial wings would be available at both Waikeria and Paparua prison, Christchurch, to take bad security risks. These, together with the special block to be built within the existing Auckland prison property, would reduce pressure here considerably. Mr Barnett said he did not favour recent suggestions that an island in the Hauraki Gulf should l be taken as a prison for habitual escapees.

He said the only island prison he knew of that had not been abandoned was Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay. An island prison must overcome almost insuperable difficulties of staff, transport, industry from the prisoners and housing, although escapes continued. The proposed extra custodial wings should cope in the future. If the position with escapers became acute, then emergency measures would have to be taken but that time had not yet arrived.