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Two National Party MPs are writing to the Minister of Corrections after being turned away from Waikeria Prison when they attempted to speak to staff about an ongoing protest at the facility.
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Simeon Brown was turned away from prison when he arrived to speak with staff. Source: 1 NEWS
By law, parliamentarians would normally have open access to prisons.
However, today, National Corrections spokesperson Simeon Brown and Taranaki-King Country Deputy Barbara Kuriger said they were told they must have express permission from the Minister of Corrections Kelvin Davis for a due visit. to the emergency situation.
Davis has declined to comment on the situation thus far and a spokesperson told 1 NEWS that he will not comment until the situation is resolved.
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Sixteen inmates citing poor conditions continue to resist. Source: 1 NEWS
Brown and Kruiger say they have now written to Davis asking for permission to visit the prison, but they also want the MP to come to the prison himself.
“Where is Kelvin? Where is he? He should be here and should at least support his staff as they respond to this,” Brown told 1 NEWS today.
“This is the fifth day in a row of this violent riot. You should be here to show your support to the staff and to ensure that the people responding to this important event have all the support they need to be able to quickly end this violent unrest.
National leader Judith Collins echoes her call for Davis to come forward.
“Let’s be clear. The taxpayer-financed mass destruction of property, assaulting Corrections personnel and stockpiling weapons is not a ‘peaceful protest,'” he said in a statement today.
“Kelvin Davis needs to come forward and explain how this loss of control happened and what he’s going to do to fix it. He was perfectly happy to brag about the opposition prisons, but now that he’s in charge, he’s nowhere to be seen.
“My thoughts are with the entire Corrections staff having to deal with this situation at the Waikeria prison.”
There are a number of risks related to prison staff, including the structural integrity of fire-damaged buildings.
The standoff involving 16 inmates protesting poor prison conditions is now in its fifth day.
Corrections Incident Controller Jeanette Burns said police were supporting Corrections in the negotiation process.
“There are multiple risks involved, including the structural integrity of fire-damaged buildings, weapons and equipment available to prisoners, toxicity from burned building materials, and violence offered by prisoners,” he said.
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The showdown heads into its fourth night as violence escalates. Source: 1 NEWS
“Negotiations with the group are ongoing, and the police are closely supporting specialized Corrections personnel.”
The corrections continue to urge the men to surrender, saying they would then be provided with food and water, despite the fact that more than 1,000 people signed a petition urging authorities to provide the 16 men with food and drink.
“We do not want the men, our personnel or other emergency services personnel to be injured,” Burns said.
“When the prisoners surrender, they will be secured, searched, provided with food and water, evaluated by medical personnel and will have access to kaumatua and other support.”
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Corrections says that a group of prisoners continues to “fail” until the second day. Source: 1 NEWS
“We have a duty to care for these men, and they will likely remain in our custody for several years. We remain grateful for the support we have received from local iwi and kaumatua ”.
