The Government has run down our police force and has now set its sights on our prisons, National's Corrections spokesman Brian Neeson said today.

Reports today indicate that prison night staffing will be cut down to only officer per 60-bed prison unit.

The recommendation could affect prison units in Auckland, Waikeria, Hawkes Bay, Christchurch, Rolleston, Rimutaka, Wanganui and Manawatu.

"This is nothing more than blatant cost cutting with no regard for the safety of prison officers.

"One officer doesn't stand a chance against 60 prisoners. At the very least they should have another officer to back them up by making an emergency call to alert authorities in the event of a breakout in violence. Having someone five minutes away is just not good enough."

"This Government is not only making it harder to catch crooks but now Mr Robson is making it tougher for the people responsible for keeping them locked up," Mr Neeson said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>