Public-private prison plan right move - criminologist

Photo / BOP Times

Private prisons could provide the "spur of competition" and improve prisons, a criminologist says.

University of Canterbury's Greg Newbold said prisons run under a public-private partnership (PPP) can be successful if the contract is well written and monitored.

"New Zealand's experience with the private prison in Auckland went extremely well. That was a well run private prison," Dr Newbold said.

The Government announced today that it wants the 1000-bed male prison at Wiri to be designed, built and operated under a public-private partnership.

It is the first PPP announced by this Government.

Dr Newbold said the State currently has a monopoly when it comes to prisons.

"Monopolies of any kind are bad. The spur of competition keeps service delivery alive," Dr Newbold said.

Asked what the chance of prisoner rehabilitation would be inside a privately run prison where bottom lines are important, Dr Newbold said rehabilitation programmes need to be written into the contract.

"Private companies cut costs where they can but if they are monitored properly then they are held accountable... You don't get that in the State because they are not accountable to anyone where there has been mistake after mistake after mistake and no remedy," Dr Newbold said.

Howard League for Penal Reform president Peter Williams, QC, said state prisons had been a "deplorable failure", apart from small pockets.

Mr Williams said running prisons is the job of the State but if private companies can give the public better protection and give prisoners better chances at rehabilitation then he is willing to listen to the arguments.

"There has been a deplorable failure of the state when it comes to prisons. There has been insufficient emphasis on job training, in providing inmates with the where-for-all in surviving when they leave prison," Mr Williams said.

He said the prison farms have been a success and he would like to see those expanded to provide meaningful work and education.

Announcing the public-private partnership plan today, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said an additional 2270 prison beds would be needed by 2019 to cope with forecast growth in prisoner numbers and to replace aging existing prisons.

"A custodial PPP is an opportunity to inject new ideas and new innovations into the corrections sector to enhance public safety, improve rehabilitation and lower costs."

The Wiri prison would operate within current Corrections framework and all prisoners would remain the responsibility of the chief executive of the Department of Corrections.

"I would expect that the successful private provider will include Maori representation and/or Maori-specific services such as rehabilitative programmes," Ms Collins said.

Public consultation would begin shortly on resource consents and the tender process would begin before the end of the year.

The prison is expected to be operating by 2014.

- with NZPA