MEDIA RELEASE:
24th January 2008

Trust Supports Prison Guards

The Sensible Sentencing Trust say information they are receiving from both prison staff and inmates supports allegations being made by Nigel Herring, Chairman of the Canterbury Corrections Association.

In a confidential [but leaked] email to prison Management Herring states that prison culture is in a critical stage of neglect and calls for immediate action.

Garth McVicar of the Sensible Sentencing Trust said his organization had received a number of similar allegations from both prison staff and inmates.

“From the information we are receiving it appears the prison system has become so P C inmates are virtually running the show and staff are losing the ability to control potentially volatile and dangerous situations.”

Recently the Trust had received allegations from an inmate that William Bell, the RSA killer, was receiving privileges from prison management, the Trust went public with those allegations.

Mr. McVicar said a decision was yet to be made as how to deal with similar allegations they had received.

“We tried doing the right thing by taking an allegation to the appropriate Department who immediately revealed the source of the complaint to the alleged offender; this put both our informant and our selves at risk so we won’t repeat that mistake”.

“Staff must have the ability to control the inmates, prisons must be humane, but if an inmate misbehaves they must be dealt with firmly and punished”.

McVicar said he saw prisons in Arizona on a recent visit that were extremely well run with inmates respecting staff and vice-versa.

‘These were humane well run prisons with very clearly defined rules, staff never back down to threats from inmates and are treated with respect at all times.”

“It appears that our very liberal prison policies are coming back to bite us.” Ends

ENDS

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