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Government makes misleading claims about private prisons
16 Feb 2009
“The government is misleading the public when it claims privately run prisons are cheaper to operate than publicly-run prisons,” says PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has told officials to draw up law changes that would allow private companies to tender for jail management contracts, with legislation expected later this year. The government is justifying this move by saying a private company ran the Auckland Remand Prison at a lower cost than prisons run by the Corrections Department.
“What the government isn’t saying is that remand prisoners are cheaper to supervise than sentenced prisoners – they’re not comparing apples with apples,” says Richard Wagstaff.
“Remand prisoners are in custody awaiting trial so they don’t require the same rehabilitation programmes as sentenced inmates and generally pose less of a security risk.”
“Using this false comparison to promote the Government’s privatisation agenda shows the government’s policy is driven more by ideology than facts,” says Richard Wagstaff.
The government needs to accept the fact that a privately run prison has the added cost to the taxpayer of providing a profit to the company awarded the contract.
“Because they require a profit companies running prisons look for ways of cutting costs at the expense of the service they provide,” says Richard Wagstaff. “This has occurred with privately run prisons overseas.”
In 1999, an American company called Wackenhut was stripped of contracts to run prisons in Texas and Louisiana. As well as mistreatment of prisoners the company was accused of trying to maximise profits at the expense of drug rehabilitation, counseling and literacy programs.
In Britain, a Prison Service survey leaked to the media last year, showed that privately-run prisons perform worse than those run by the public sector.
“The survey showed that most privately-managed prisons in Britain score badly on security and maintaining order and control,” says Richard Wagstaff.
“This is why prison governors in Britain have called on the government to re-think its policy of having private management of prisons.”
“Despite this clear evidence that privatising prison management has failed overseas the government continues to push its privatisation agenda for ideological reasons.”
“We believe denying people their liberty should not be treated as just another way to make a buck.”
“It involves fundamental human rights and should remain a core public service,” says Richard Wagstaff.
For further comment call PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff on 027 277-8131
Media contact: Nick Hirst 04 917-2028, 027 600-5498
Public Service Association
