STATEMENT – People Against Prisons Aotearoa condemns the beating of 77 year-old Dean Wickliffe by prison guards at Waikato’s Spring Hill Corrections Facility. Wickliffe was recalled to prison after being made homeless and breaching his parole conditions that he reside at a specific address. After refusing to be double-bunked, a group of prison guards beat Wickliffe so badly he needed to be transferred to hospital for treatment. Wickliffe has been on hunger strike since March 10th, with his lawyer Annette Sykes saying that Corrections has refused to let her speak to him.
“Corrections is breaching Section 69 of the Corrections Act, which clearly outlines that the Department must let prisoners speak with their lawyers. Spring Hill prison general manager Alan Lamb is acting unlawfully by refusing to arrange an AVL meeting for Dean’s lawyer.”
“People Against Prisons Aotearoa has low expectations of Corrections, but the treatment of Dean Wickliffe is outrageous. When this old man was scared to be double-bunked, prison guards beat his head against the floor of his cell until he needed to be hospitalised. Given the recent spate of murders and suicides in custody, it is clear that Corrections is failing incarcerated people and failing Aotearoa. How are people meant to be rehabilitated when Corrections beats, abuses, and neglects them?”
