Howard League demands full independent transparent inquiry into Serco fiasco

The events coming to light from the Serco run Mt Eden are outrageous says Howard League Patron Nigel Hampton QC. The Howard League believes that it is wrong to profit from the removal of people’s liberty and that there must be an end to the privatization of New Zealand’s prisons. Profits are reached by cutting back on essential services and duties, and within Serco’s Mt Eden staffing is the service that has been cut back to make profits.

The Howard League is not surprised by the revelations coming out of the Serco run Mt Eden Prison. The League receives numerous letters from prisoners about violence inflicted on them whilst in prison in New Zealand. It knows that there are not enough officers employed at Mt Eden and there are consistent 23 hour lockdowns.

There must be a completely independent inquiry. The Corrections’ prison inspector is not the appropriate person for the inquiry. New Zealand must immediately set up a truly independent, and permanent, prison inspectorate.

ENDS

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