SECURITY PRISON

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29803, 21 April 1962, Page 12

SECURITY PRISON

Replacement Of Mt Eden (N.Z Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 20 The Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) has promised a new maximum security prison to replace Mount Eden gaol, Auckland. He said yesterday that inquiries were already being made for a suitable site. The Cabinet had agreed in principle to the building of a new prison. “I will not rest content until a site has been found and the institution is bbilt,” Mr Hanan said. Mr Hanan said the La Mat-tina-Tell escape had again proved the inadequacy of Mount Eden as a maximum security prison. “The prison is grossly overcrowded and the mixed collection of inmates raises many problems for the administration,” he said. There could be no permanent answer to the problem until Mount Eden was replaced by a modern institution elsewhere. Mr Hanan said a modern maximum security prison would be equipped with all up-to-date security safeguards. including bars to defeat the wit of any inmate seeking to cut through'them. He said members of the public had made various suggestions and these were being carefully examined The public would understand, however, that it would be undesirable to state the new measures which would be adopted.