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Claims by a former prison guard that prison managers were letting contraband into prisons to buy good behaviour from inmates should be taken to authorities for investigation, Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor said today.
National MP Simon Power said a former prison officer had gone on television claiming "guards used access to cellphones, drugs, gang paraphernalia and conjugal visits to buy 'good behaviour' from inmates 'on a constant basis' while management turned a blind eye".
"Why, as was alleged last night, is contraband being used as a management tool to keep inmates quiet," Mr Power asked.
Claims had also been made that inmates were paying guards to arrange conjugal visits for the inmates.
Mr O'Connor said such behaviour would not be condoned.
He said the former prison guard had never raised the allegations with prison management.
He told Mr Power these were allegations that were being "made by someone, who I understand and am informed, was arrested by the police".
Mr O'Connor did not say what the former prison guard had been arrested for.
Any information the former prison guard could provide would be welcomed and should go to Wellington barrister David Patten who was investigating alleged corruption at Rimutaka Prison, Mr O'Connor said.
Eleven staff at Rimutaka Prison and two at Christchurch have been stood down while investigations into alleged corruption is pending.
- NZPA
