'Cold' prisoners on hunger strike over dirty conditions

Eleven prisoners being held in Wellington police cells are on a hunger strike, complaining of bad meals, dirty conditions and lack of sunlight.

Wellington lawyer Kevin Smith said one of the men, Jason Potter, had called him on behalf of the remand inmates. He told Mr Smith they had stopped eating on Tuesday afternoon and intended to continue their strike until they were moved from the cells. They were still drinking water.

The men had been in Wellington central police station cells since Friday, after being moved from prisons because of overcrowding. The Corrections Department cannot say how long they will be there.

Mr Smith visited Potter at the underground cells yesterday. He described conditions as "very, very cold" and said the prisoners had not seen sunlight since Friday.

"There's certainly no sunlight or heating in there."

Potter told Mr Smith that police officers were doing the best they could for the prisoners, but conditions were substandard. They could only exercise in a corridor and slept on concrete bunks with plastic mattresses.

Each of the men had been given a "filthy" blanket - one had blood stains on it - but only seven of them also had a sheet. The men shared a toilet, which had a video camera trained on it, and Potter said the one hand towel in the toilet had not been changed since Friday. The men were also unhappy with their meals. They had been given fruit to eat only once since Friday - half a "discoloured and off" banana each.

But Wellington area police commander Inspector Marty Grenfell said the prisoners were being well looked-after and, though the cells were not designed for long-term prisoners, they were heated.

"It's an underground facility and there's limited exercise opportunities but the prisoners' welfare is monitored and those who have prescribed medication are given it."

Police would look into the concerns.

Howard League for Penal Reform Canterbury secretary Kathy Dunstall said conditions in prison or court cells were often substandard.

- NZPA