Beven Hanlon, the National President of the Corrections Officers Association of NZ, is concerned about the rash of serious incidents in prisons this week.

A staff member was knocked unconscious by an inmate in an unprovoked attack yesterday at Christchurch mens prison. Another officer was injured trying to assist the officer who was being attacked. Police are looking at charges. This is on the back of a gang fight at Christchurch mens just 2 days before. Several inmates were injured and staff acted professionally and courageously to minimise this situation.

Beven Hanlon said it was nice to see management acting quickly and looking after staff by calling in the armed offenders squad after being told there may have been a gun in the wing.

He went on to say that all members of CANZ are concerned by PPS trying to increase the inmate to staff ratios in prisons. This happened in 1998 with the introduction of 'WDP' and CANZ were opposed to this at the time. Now they are trying to increase the inmate to officer ratios further particularly at the new prisons and the soon to be public prison in Auckland (ACRP). Currently in the public service remand inmates have a 1:15 ratio. ACRP have a 1:50 ratio.

Beven Hanlon said that if yesterdays incident in Christchurch had happened at ACRP there would not have been an officer to respond immediately to the attack and the assault may have been even worse." More staff doesn't guarantee safety. But it does help, as at the end of the day it is all a numbers game."

This media release has been authorised by Beven Hanlon
National President of the Corrections Association of New Zealand
Phone 06 844 9378
Mob. 0274 380 442
Email: bjandbev@xtra.co.nz