12 January 2005

Heads Should Roll At Prison Booze Barn

New Zealand First has called on the Corrections Minister to explain how inmates at a Hawkes Bay prison held a party and got drunk on home brew.

Corrections spokesperson Ron Mark said today that the Minister owed the public an explanation about how prisoners supposedly under supervision could be involved in alcohol production and binge drinking.

“As a result of this incident, yet again the safety of prison officers has been put at risk.

“The prison service is already 300 officers short, despite an almost on-going recruitment drive, and it can only get worse as new prisons are brought on-line and prisoner numbers continue to rise.

“It is little wonder, with incidents like this, that Corrections cannot retain or recruit staff.

“Meanwhile prisoners are obviously now running the prisons and when they get sick of watching TV or smoking dope they are embarking on alcohol production. “The Corrections Department is the lame duck of government departments,” said Mr Mark, ”and the management is obviously a shambles.”

ENDS

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