March 22, 2021
Davis orders prison change after fiery blast
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has ordered an overhaul of the way women are managed in prison.
It follows a stinging rebuke of Corrections yesterday by Manukau District Judge David McNaughton over the degrading, cruel and inhumane treatment meted out to Mihi Bassett, who was being sentenced for arson.
Judge McNaughton said the 2019 fire was lit in protest at the conditions Bassett was subjected to, including being pepper-sprayed in her cell multiple times and having to lie on the ground to be fed, and no time would be added to her sentence for the charge.
Mr Davis says he sought advice when the treatment of Bassett and other prisoners came to light and has taken action.
Minister Davis has laid out his expectations in a letter to the chief executive of Corrections, including that there be an urgent overhaul of the maximum-security classification for women, the development of management plans for women and a review of all women’s prisons, and additional training for frontline custodial staff with a focus on the use of force, segregation, use of cells and searches, and management of difficult situations.
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