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Dominico Zapata / Things
Prisoners could be seen on the roof of a unit in Waikeria prison after the riots that began Tuesday.
Men protesting at Waikato’s Waikeria Prison set more fires overnight and threw debris at prison staff and police, Corrections says.
It’s an “incredibly volatile situation,” Corrections Incident Controller Jeanette Burns said in a statement.
“We know that there are tensions between the members of the group, they have access to weapons and they may have taken drugs from the dispensary,” Burns said Sunday morning.
“The prisoners have continued to light fires inside the facilities at night, threatening our staff and the police and throwing debris at them from the roof of the buildings.”
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There were also concerns that the burned buildings could collapse or that the materials could be toxic.
Meanwhile, criminal justice advocacy groups are calling for the Minister of Corrections to intervene to reduce the escalation of the protest at the Waikeria prison in Waikato.
JustSpeak Director Tania Sawicki Mead said the prisoners asked for basic human rights and Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis should comply with their requests.
Amnesty International Aotearoa NZ has also called for immediate action on the part of the minister, saying that the tactics used should no longer deny the humanity of the men involved.
A riot started in Waikeria after 17 inmates started several fires Tuesday and then took control of the prison’s main jail.
TOM LEE / THINGS
Jeremy Lightfoot, Executive Director of Corrections, speaks to the media about the ongoing riots at the Waikeria prison.
Photos taken by Stuff It showed an entire wing, at least 100 meters long, the roof seemed destroyed with a tangle of debris.
A man surrendered on the third day of the incident.
On New Year’s Day, Corrections Ministry Incident Controller Jeanette Burns said the prisoners had broken into a room used to store power tools, shields, batons and bulletproof vests.
But Sawicki Mead said the men were “shedding light on the inhumane conditions in this prison and demanding basic human rights for those in Waikeria.”
These include clean water, hygienic eating facilities and “minimal sanitation, including toilet paper and clean clothes,” Sawicki Mead said.
And they are the same “abject conditions” that were highlighted recently in an Ombudsman report after an unannounced inspection of the prison, Sawicki Mead said.
JustSpeak has called on Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis to reduce the escalation of the Waikeria protest in a way that protects the “safety, dignity and human and legal rights” of men, according to a statement.
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Men demand basic human rights for people in Waikeria, JustSpeak Director Tania Sawicki Mead said.
A Davis spokesman has previously said that he will not intervene or comment on the situation until it is resolved.
Corrections and emergency services needed space to do their jobs safely, he said.
“We don’t need politicians to come in and get involved in the meantime.”
However, JustSpeak saw this as an opportunity for Davis and the Department of Corrections to show commitment to the values that underpin their own Hōkai Rangi strategy, Sawicki Mead said.
“The protesters in Waikeria are calling for an end to inhumane treatment and for basic needs like clean and adequate clothing, food and water to be met – something that all of us, no matter who we are, all deserve.”
LAWRENCE SMITH / Things
A spokesman for Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has said he will not comment until the Waikeria situation is resolved.
Amnesty International Aotearoa NZ has also said that it has a steady stream of reports describing “deeply disturbing practices in prisons across the country,” such as problems of detention and restraint, according to a statement.
The group wanted Davis to ensure that the human rights of inmates are protected.
“The detained protesters have already expressed concern about the inhuman treatment. Further denying the humanity of all involved through tactics such as the use of excessive force or the withholding of food and water will only increase an already difficult situation. “
The problems in Waikeria, detailed in the Chief Ombudsman’s report, included men staying in two bunks in cells designed for one person and problems with the supply and quality of clothing and bedding, the group said. .
Amnesty International has called for an end to “specific dehumanizing practices” and for the state of the prison system to be investigated.
