Plan to extend Accommodation

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32562, 23 March 1971, Page 2

Plan to extend Accommodation

(Hew Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 22. < The Minister of Justice (Mr Riddi--ford) has a plan for increasing accom•lnodation at Mount Eden Prison, but he •is not prepared to disclose it yet.

lle said in an interview that he will be making a full statement about Saturday’s riot laler this week, after he has received a full repott on the incident from tKf Justice Department add prison authorities. flr Riddiford said that hej wj» reporting to the Cabinet today, but he would not comment on whether or not the Government had before it details for overcoming accommodation problems at the prison. Mr Riddiford praised the Mount Eden Prison Superintendent (Mr J. Hobson) for the* handling of Saturday's incident. 71 think he behaved with Admirable skill and resolution add succeeded in preventing what might have resulted in serious damage to the prison J*. more casualties,” Mr Riddiford said. '■More permanent building

was required at Mount Eden, but there was a possibility of providing temporary accommodation by replacing some of the roofing destroyed in the major riot some years ago, the Minister added. “One thing that must be remembered is that Mount Eden is a remand prison, and it is not possible to know from week to week how many prisoners are going to be there. “More accommodation is needed, but it must be borne in mind that you can’t estimate how many persons you will have for a short period,” Mr Riddiford said.