More prison beds announced

The Corrections Department has reached an agreement with prison officers which means more beds will be available to handle high inmate numbers, the Government said today.

Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor said capacity would be increased at most prisons.

There would be 180 additional beds available immediately and a further 90 to 100 by the end of February.

"Each prison site has a normal operating capacity but with the agreement of the unions extra beds can be accessed for contingency purposes," Mr O'Connor said.

"This will result in fewer prisoners having to be held in police and court cells."

Mr O'Connor said the prison building programme was making good progress, and nearly 500 new beds were due to be occupied by March.

Three new prisons are being constructed, capacity is being increased at others and by mid-2007 there will be more than 2000 extra beds available.

Mr O'Connor said the prison muster peaked at the end of November at 7592 prisoners and was now around 7398.

"Continuously building new prisons is an expensive business and is not the best option in the long term," he said.

"As a country we must all continue to direct our energy towards lowering crime and working to rehabilitate people already in the prison system."

- NZPA