NZ technology helps US prisons monitor inmates

Inmates at major United States prisons are being watched in their cells through the convex mirrors of Tauranga firm Bennett Mirror Technologies.

About 1000 of Bennett's unbreakable polycarbonate mirrors have been sold to the US, where the prison population totals 2.1 million.

The mirrors have also become the market standard in New Zealand and Australia, and have recently been approved for use in Britain.

The company, managed by Alastair Bennett, hopes the mirrors will be installed in three prisons being built in this country.

Bennett's father, Os Bennett, founded the company in Christchurch in 1949 as a manufacturer of traditional flat mirrors.

Seven years ago it started making the unbreakable polycarbonate mirrors, which now make up 20 per cent of the company's turnover.

Most of the company's success has come since it set its sights on America three years ago. It spent 18 months of careful market research with the help of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's US staff.

California was singled out as the first target state, with money for upgrading prisons and a greater tolerance towards prisoner safety.

At its first US trade show Bennett's invited people to bash the mirrors with a baseball bat. Despite three days of uninterrupted and vigorous bashing, they stayed intact.

The company works with Chicago distributor Norix Group to sell into the US.

Said Bennett: "Essentially, a prison will use them, see the value and then word-of-mouth really assists the marketing programme."