Tuesday, 20 September 2022, 6:16 am Press Release: Amanda Hill
20 September
An urgent application for an
injunction to prevent almost all sentenced women prisoners
being transferred out of Arohata Prison to other centres was
heard this afternoon. The transfer would have the effect of
removing key rehabilitation programmes for women and
removing them from contact with their children and whānau.
The Court issued a decision shortly after 6pm today,
declining to stop the transfer of the women, which will
begin tomorrow morning. The urgent nature of the application
means the Court’s reasons will follow in a few
days.
"We are grateful to the Court for
accommodating this hearing at such short notice" says Amanda
Hill, lawyer for the 8 women who brought the action. "We are
devastated for the women who will be sent far away from
their kids and whānau tomorrow, with no chance to even hug
them goodbye. We are also devastated at the loss of the only
specialist Drug Treatment Unit in the country for women,
setting back the rehabilitation of dozens of women in
prison".
The first transfer, of some 11 women, will
occur tomorrow with further transfers on Thursday and again
in the following weeks. All but a handful of sentenced women
will be forced to leave Arohata, with the majority being
transferred to Christchurch Women’s Prison. This is far
outside the catchment area for Arohata Prison, which is the
lower/central North Island, stretching up the East
Coast.
Hill said that she and senior counsel,
Victoria Casey KC, would be reviewing next steps carefully
over the coming days.
"On Suffrage Day, of all days,
we are deeply disappointed that Corrections will continue
with this action which disadvantages the most vulnerable
people in our community - Māori women and their tamariki”
said Hill. “We urge Corrections to pause, rethink and
reconsider the interests of these women who will be so
severely impacted by this
proposal”.
