Simon Power MP
National Party Justice & Corrections Spokesman

1 May 2007

O'Connor admits Corrections was wrong

Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor has finally admitted his department was wrong to put a segregated prisoner into a compartment with three others, says National's Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

Under questioning in Parliament today on the bashing of a prisoner in the back of a prison van last month, Mr O'Connor said: 'It was odd that we had a mix of prisoners in that one compartment ... that is why we are making changes to ensure such a situation does not occur again.'

"Finally, Damien O'Connor has admitted his department has erred badly over this latest incident after saying all along that the policy of segregation was misunderstood.

"Immediately after the prisoner was bashed, he was quoted as saying that 'the policy of segregation in New Zealand prisons is widely misunderstood,' that 'segregation was less stringent that isolation', and that 'prisoners under segregation could be housed with other inmates in prison or when they were transported.'

"But today he has finally come to his senses and admitted his department made a mistake by putting a segregated prisoner into a cell with others."

ENDS

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