A dialysis machine, body scanner and biometric security system are some of the “state of the art” features of Waikeria Prison’s new 596-bed facility.
The facility, first announced in 2018, opened this week near the Waikato town of Te Awamutu, with inmates expected to move in by the end of August.
At the opening ceremony, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell said he was “blown away” by the extension.
“Today, we are delivering a world-class facility. We are setting ourselves up for success,” Mitchell told those at the opening ceremony.
“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into developing a project of this size.”
According to developer CIMIC Group, the extension spans about 21 hectares, includes 28 new buildings, and took an estimated 8.5 million work hours to complete.
The facility will have 500 high-security beds and 96 beds in its mental health and addiction section.
Cornerstone Infrastructure board chair and director Graham Whitson said 87 prisoners were involved in the facility’s construction and were helped to get employment on release.
Waikeria Prison general manager Jim Watson said Waikeria’s current inmate population was 380, with just under 200 staff.
“[The new facility] increases our capacity by about 596 places. We’re looking at about 470 uniform staff.”
Watson said that once the new facility was operating there could be as many as 650 people working there each day, making Waikeria one of the region’s biggest employers.
“Without a doubt, it’s a big influx of people into the area. It’s a boost for the local economy.”
Watson said the facility’s biometric security system was “basically failsafe”.
“In terms of access to the site, everybody has to go through an induction. Fingerprint scans happen. It will just be a wave of the hand. Only secure people will be able to come into the environment.”
Watson said prison staff were “stoked” by the changes.
After a tour of the site, Mitchell told the Herald he thought the facility was “all impressive” but the health centre was “phenomenal”.
“That’s like walking into a modern ED.”
The facility’s health centre includes x-ray capabilities, dental services, optometry and a purpose-built dialysis unit.
Waikeria Prison health services manager Sherryl Robertson said the health centre meant fewer men would need to be escorted off-site for access to care.
“Having this here means we can access it right here and they get the care they need right away.”
About 35 nurses will be employed by the new health centre.
Department of Corrections chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot said that previously, escorting prisoners off-site for “relatively minor” medical treatment had been “disruptive” to operations.
“And it continued to add burden to the community health facilities.”
Lightfoot said the facility’s opening marked a “new beginning” for the corrections system and a “new chapter” for Waikeria.
He said many changes introduced in the new facility were “game changers” aimed at creating a safe and more humanising environment for both staff and prisoners.
Lightfoot said the body scanner in the facility’s receiving section was one example.
“Historically, to ensure that people aren’t bringing contraband into a site when they are received in, we are required to undertake strip searches.
“A full body scanner removes the need for that.”
Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell said the facility’s opening was “a special day”.
“This is a world-class corrections facility and when you combine that with a world-class corrections service running it then the people that come in here, if they chose to engage in rehabilitation, they’re going to get world-class services and the best possible support ... [so] when they leave they should be able to reintegrate.”
Last year, the Government announced $1.9 billion in investment for the Department of Corrections over a four-year period.
This figure included funding for a further 810-bed facility at Waikeria, which is now under way.
Once that extension is completed, Waikeria will become New Zealand’s largest prison, with 1870 beds in total.
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.