Jail crowding blamed on bureaucracy
PA Auckland The Howard League for Penal Reform has blamed the gross overcrowding at Mount Eden Prison on bureaucratic inertia. The secretary of the league, Mr David Hagar, praised prison officers and their leaders as being responsible people. He said they had no choice but to impose the ban from midnight on Friday because the officers’ leaders were sick of being told changes would take place. Mount Eden’s prisoner population rose to 466 on Friday, before staff imposed a ban on new inmates from midnight.
In a statement, staff said the gates would remain locked until the nominal muster reached 366, otherwise the matter would be unnegotiable. Mr Hagar said shifting 40 prisoners to the Rangipo or Invercargill prisons would not solve the problem. The Justice Department had to begin dealing with high recidivism at its roots. It was a matter of common sense, said Mr Hagar, that more medical people should be placed in the system to try to treat the large numbers of drug addicts, alcoholics and prisoners with psychiatric problems.
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Press, 7 April 1987, Page 4
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178Jail crowding blamed on bureaucracy Press, 7 April 1987, Page 4
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