Waikeria Prison Uprising: Inmates Protest Conditions, Lack of Supplies

By Te Aorewa Rolleston of RNZ

Waikeria prison sources have told RNZ that the remaining 16 prisoners involved in a rooftop standoff are protesting the dilapidated conditions, overcrowded cells and a lack of basic supplies.

A source said there were still men on the roof in the old part of the prison known as the upper jail.

They said the men oppose the conditions they say have been experienced in Waikeria for the past year.

“Our water comes out brown, but we still have to drink it,” an inmate told RNZ.

One source claims that there is a lack of basic supplies and health and welfare treatment in the prison, which has affected the prisoners’ mental health.

“We sit and eat in the same room we sleep in, we change towels and clothes once a week, clothes that we don’t even have.

“We don’t get sheet changes, we don’t get sheet washes, I’ve been here a month and haven’t had one, my uncle has been here six months and hasn’t had a blanket / sheet change.

“The only time they want to move us is when they will lock us in a cell or take us to the courtyards.”

For those within Waikeria, conditions had become too much, the source said.

Negotiations have continued and the source said those who still remained had asked for water and were told to get out of the building one at a time.

The source said the men did not want to surrender at gunpoint and had expressed their desire for a peaceful outcome.

Individuals, according to sources, are instead calling for political leaders and some media organizations to step in and help mediate the evolving situation.

‘There is no program’

An inmate contacted RNZ about how ongoing systemic abuse had occurred within the justice system.

“We hear about this strategy from Hōkai Rangi, but we don’t see it. There is no program. There is no rehabilitation. It’s locking us in, putting them in a yard full of gang members and then letting them out. And they expect us to change.”

Whānau has also spoken about why some had reached the breaking point.

A colleague of one of those incarcerated said that after receiving an alarming call Tuesday night she learned that those inside Waikeria were “quite scared” despite the evacuations.

The family said that “everything was burning except the cement.”

The family said their relatives within Waikeria had told them that they sometimes waited up to four days for toilet paper and that restrictions around confinement meant inmates spent up to 23 hours a day in a cage-like cell known as ” the hole “with limited natural light.

A source said the inmates had double bunk beds and shared a bathroom within the same cell where they ate and slept.

A family member said those involved in the confrontation were unarmed.

Fear the armed criminal squad is on hold

She was particularly concerned for the well-being of her partner, who is a father, and also the 16 others who are not yet in compliance, after learning that the armed criminal squad was reportedly “preparing to enter”.

The family said the mental well-being and health of those inside has deteriorated due to the strict conditions and aging of the facilities, which had already been criticized and parts of the complex deemed “no longer fit for purpose,” according to a report from the Office. of the Ombudsman.

Corrections without knowledge of complaints

Corrections, in a statement, said the department was not aware of any complaints related to inmates who do not have access to basic toiletries such as toilet paper, and “we would be concerned if that were the case.”

A spokesperson said: “All prisoners have the right to receive a level of medical care reasonably equivalent to that found in the community.

“Medical officers working in prisons evaluate inmates to determine if intervention or treatment at the primary, secondary or tertiary level is appropriate. Primary health care is provided by Corrections and includes services such as general medicine, prescriptions and services Nursing Primary care for mental health is also included.

Corrections is responsible for ensuring the safe and secure operation of our facilities at all times.

“National policy is that all units must operate an unlocking regime that reflects the unit’s work and rehabilitation activities. Unlocking hours vary between different units within a prison and each prison site, and may reflect each inmate’s management plan. They are also subject to change to meet operational requirements. “

The spokesperson said inmates can be denied association with other inmates if their behavior poses a risk to prison security, the safety of others or to themselves.

Earlier today, the Department of Corrections said significant damage had occurred to the upper jail and it was unlikely the inmates would be housed there again.

– RNZ