Prisoners 'held in vans on street'

Jails are so full that some prisoners are being held in vans parked on public streets, the Corrections Association says.

The practice was introduced at Auckland's Mt Eden Prison on Friday, it was reported today.

There were 7444 sentenced inmates in New Zealand on Friday -- including 102 in police cells and 64 in court cells -- a total that has steadily climbed despite Justice Ministry predictions the number would drop.

This leaves about 100 police and court cells free before all spare capacity is used, the report said.

Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon, who is also a prison guard, said management at Mt Eden Prison had decided on Friday to house inmates in prison vans to ensure they stayed within the acceptable maximum muster number of 421, for the jail.

The number -- negotiated between the union and the Corrections Department -- applied when the prison was "locked down" twice a day, at lunchtime till 1pm and at 5pm till court cells became available for the night.

Guards were ordered to fill up two vans with 12 inmates at these times and park on the street outside the jail. The inmates -- who spent the night in Manukau District Court cells -- were taken back to the prison when it re-opened.

Mr Hanlon said guards at the prison were being forced to go along with the practice, which was dangerous.

"They don't know what they're supposed to do if something goes wrong," he told The Dominion Post.

The Corrections Association, which represents most guards, said continuing muster problems had led to an increase in assaults on staff, and warned that riots -- or even the death of a guard -- could eventuate. It said Mt Eden and Rimutaka prisons were particularly at risk.

The Corrections Department was not immediately available for comment.

- NZPA