Prisons ban violent videos

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 8

Prisons ban violent videos

PA Wellington The Government has clamped down on the screening of sexually explicit and violent videos in prisons. The Justice Department yesterday instructed prison superintendents to ban films and videos containing graphic violence or explicit sexual scenes. Copies of the instruction were issued by the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, who said that a tighteningup was needed of the sort of material prisoners were allowed to view.

Superintendents were told to have a "responsible . officer” select films and preview all videos, guided by the censor’s classification and the "ordinary standards of New Zealand Society.”

' Borderline cases would be referred to prison censorship committees comprising a senior rank-

ing officer, education officer, chaplain, social worker, and welfare officer. .

Superintendents were required to report on the new policy to the Justice Department after three months of operation, nd later than May 21. Meanwhile, the Opposition spokesman on justice, Mr Paul East, said New Zealanders would be “appalled” to learn of the assortment of sexual and violent movies that had been screened in prisons in the last two years. It was “beyond comprehension” that a video such as “Savage Streets,” billed as "They raped her sister and killed her best friend,” had been shown at Tongariro Prison. The list included “Schizo,” about a psychopath who murdered women, shown in an Auckland mediumsecurity prison, “Cali-

gula,” and “Scum,” about prisoners rioting, Mr East said.

Pornographic films depicting women as sex objects such as “Seka,” “Candystripe . Nurses,” “Electric Blue,” or “Black Emmanuel” had been shown at an Auckland medium-security prison or at other prisons. Sexually violent movies such as “I Spit on your Grave” or “Hostage” had also been shown, along with many honor movies or violent action movies such as "Mad Max” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

“How can one possibly expect to rehabilitate prisoners under these conditions?” Mr East said. Mr Palmer had known about the screenings for nine months, but failed to take action until it was raised in Parliament this month, he said.

Mr Palmer said that Opposition criticism “conveniently overlooks the fact that they (the Opposition) operated the prisons without such a restriction for the entire term of their Government" Mr East had asked many Parliamentary questions about what had been shown in the prisons over the last 24 months and had been given details of more than 1000 viewings. “I have been through the list and only a handful are objectionable,” Mr Palmer said. “The list includes such items as ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Ghost 'Busters,' ‘Superman,’ Tootsie,’ ‘Ghandi,’ ‘Jewel: of the Nile,’ Phar Lap,’ ‘Saturday Night Fever,’ e > ‘Torville ' and Dean,’ ‘Chariots of Fire,’ and hundreds of other movies and videos that ail New Zealanders have . ,4»L . .