Day 1 in prison for Donna: Pie and tears

Donna Awatere Huata

Donna Awatere Huata's first day in prison started with Weet-Bix and toast and continued with tears.

The former Act MP's first full day in Mt Eden Women's Prison started at 8am when her cell was unlocked.

At 8.10 she was ushered into a wing full of tables and chairs and offered breakfast - two Weet-Bix and two bits of toast served with spreads.

After breakfast Awatere Huata - who on Tuesday was found guilty of ripping off a trust set up to help underprivileged Maori children - was entitled to a phone call but it is not known whether she took up the offer. Then she was seen by doctors for a medical. On Tuesday, when she arrived straight from court, Awatere Huata would have undergone a different kind of assessment to see if she was likely to harm herself, or be harmed by others. Yesterday she was reminded that the option of segregation was still available after being verbally abused by other prisoners.

As she walked past a holding cell, sources said, other inmates yelled, "How do you feel about stealing from our Maori children?" Awatere Huata reportedly went back to her cell and cried.

Besides that incident the rest of her day was pretty routine. At 11.15 lunch was served. While some were allowed three sandwiches, Awatere Huata was allowed only two because she was not working.

By midday she was back in her cell where she remained locked behind bars in the 54-bed prison until 3pm. The 56-year-old was then allowed out into a wing where there is a television and access to an outdoor exercise area for an hour.

At 4pm she was offered her second dinner in prison, although it may not have met the standards she's adopted since her stomach-stapling operation - meat pie, deep-fried mashed potato balls and mixed vegies. She was back locked in her cell at 5pm, a routine she might face for years.