Prison staff to restrict inmate numbers

Press, 27 November 1980, Page 1

Prison staff to restrict inmate numbers

PA Wellington

Prison officers would restrict the intake of inmates at penal institutions throughout New Zealand if the Government did not adopt adequate staffing policies, said the president of the Public Service Association, Mr D. H. Thorp, yesterday.. He was speaking after a two-hour meeting with the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay) at Parliament. Also at the meeting were senior P.S.A. officials and representatives of every penal institution in New Zealand.

Mr Thorp told reporters that he believed the group had illustrated graphically to Mr McLay that the “sinking lid” policy was entirely inappropriate when applied to the prison service.

“We must take every stetawe can think of. to avoid an outbreak or disturbance at any particular prison,” he said.

In some prisons inmates who were idle because firms had withdrawn work had to be locked up to maintain security in fight, staffing situations. “That can create those (violent) situations very quickly without very much notice,” Mr Thorp said.

Prison officers have already imposed restrictions on the number of inmates they will accept at Wellington Prison. From today similar restrictions will be observed at Wi Tako Prison and Arohata Borstal.

Mr McLay told reporters after the meeting that he had undertaken to seek immediate approval by the Cabinet committee on State services to increase the number of prison staff so that officers would not

have to work so much overtime.

The Justice Department said in a background paper yesterday that many prison officers consistently worked at least the "equivalent of a six-day week to cover sick leave, hospital escorts, and other emergencies that might arise.

However, the number of prison staff had not ■ been cut back under the “sinking lid” policy adopted by the Government in all non-commercial departmen t s . Pri s o n-staff numbers had actually risen to a record 1532, compared with the present prison population of 2792, about the same as' . in 1977, when 1396 staff had been employed. Mr Thorp agreed that staff numbers had not been cut but he said that the policy was so inflexible that it prevented proper management policies from being implemented to meet the day-to-day needs of particular prisons. Between 50 and 100 extra staff would be needed throughout New Zealand to allow such management policies to be implemented. Mr McLay said that he would also urgently consider several other issues the deputation had discussed with him. He was disappointed that the prison officers seemed determined to proceed with industrial action in spite of his undertaking about extra staff to cover overtime.

But Mr Thorp said the situation Was serious. The planned action would proceed because there was not enough time for the Cabinet committee to approve extra staff and put them into place to avoid potentially dangerous problems in prisons.