By Elishya Perera
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CU)_The Human Rights Commission of New Zealand has called for an independent inquiry into the Waikeria Prison stand-off, as the 16 protesters surrendered to authorities on Sunday (Jan 3), following a six-day stand-off.
The demonstrators have complained about inhuman treatment carried out within prison grounds, and protested the unacceptable conditions at the prison.
Although the Department of Corrections has announced two separate investigations into the matter, the Human Rights Commission says that the Ombudsman should carry out an independent inquiry.
“Let’s see what an inquiry establishes, but keep in mind that the Ombudsman’s team of investigators has been telling us for years that conditions in many of our prisons are sub-standard and do not meet basic international human rights requirements,” the chief commissioner of the Commission Paul Hunt said.
Last August, the Ombudsman issued a report highlighting inhumane treatment of prisoners at the high security complex, noting that the prison was no longer fit for purpose. Accordingly, Hunt noted that there was no shortage of reports on failings in prisons, but progress was extremely slow.
“There are some very fine staff working for Corrections, but I am sorry to say that not everyone has got the message. For example, during the protest it was reported that the non-supply of water was used as a negotiating tactic. If that proves to be accurate, this was inhumane and unlawful and suggests that some people in Corrections are living in the past,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Corrections Kelvin Davis has criticised the protests, noting that none of the demonstartors had complained about their living conditions through official channels.
“There were many legitimate avenues for prisoners to raise concerns about their conditions, including through the independent Corrections Inspectorate and the Office of the Ombudsman,” he noted.
However, the director of the justice advisory group Just Speak, Tania Sawicki Mead, questions how many of these inmates were aware of their rights, informed of the official complaint channels, and had trust in those processes.
“Any individual making a complaint through the Ombudsman system is likely to wait a really long time before they’re addressed – and these men were talking about basic human rights,” she added.
She further noted that its “really unreasonable” to reject these serious allegations made by the inmates, especially since the Ombudsman’s report verifies a majority of their concerns.
On December 29, it was reported that a group of prisoners at the Waikeria Prison had been rioting after setting fire in an exercise yard at the facility. Subsequently, the prisoners who were not involved in the riot were evacuated while the others had refused to cooperate.
