On Friday, June 13, People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA) is inviting concerned members of the community to a rally outside the Department of Corrections National Office in Pōneke (Wellington), to protest the Coalition Government’s expansion of Waikeria and Christchurch Men’s Prisons. After speeches, there will be a hīkoi to the lawn outside parliament.
PAPA Wellington branch member Mallory Stevenson said “Adding more capacity to prisons will not address the injustices of our so-called justice system. We already know that the police and the courts lock up Māori extremely disproportionately. Expanding these systems just breaks apart more whānau, pushes Māori further into poverty. We need to meet people’s real needs, rather than just dumping billions of dollars into locking up the poor.”
“The prison population is only growing because of totally reversible decisions this government has made. Despite evidence that longer sentences make it harder for people to reintegrate into society, they are choosing to lock more people up for longer.”
An 810-bed expansion planned for Waikeria was announced in May of last year, and a 596-bed facility opened just a week ago. This year’s budget also announced a 292-bed expansion to Christchurch Men’s Prison. Paul Goldsmith’s recently passed Sentencing (Reform) Amendment Bill effectively provides a blanket increase to minimum sentences, interfering with the courts’ ability to make appropriate decisions.
“If there’s an issue with prison overcrowding, it is an issue this government has created. We could be granting bail to the thousands of people on remand who haven’t been convicted of any crime and pursuing community-based solutions wherever possible. This government has taken every opportunity to defund services that actually help people and reduce crime. This government has defunded society so it can funnel cash to its billionaire supporters, and the prison crisis is the result. We deserve better.”
