Keep jail private, Government urged

By RUTH BERRY political reporter

United Future has mounted a last-minute bid to try to prevent the Government from legislating against privately managed prisons.

Tariana Turia has thrown her weight behind the party, arguing the country's only privately run prison - Auckland Central Remand Prison - has a better track record for Maori than state-run prisons.

Members of local tribes supporting the prison also kept up the pressure yesterday, mounting a vigil outside it.

The matter is expected to be resolved this week, when the Corrections Bill is set to be passed.

Among other things, the bill legislates to prevent prisons being privately managed in the future.

The remand prison contract, awarded by the previous Government, expires next year and will not be renewed.

The bill's final reading has now been delayed a week, giving opponents of the private prison plans some hope.

Corrections Minister Paul Swain's decision to meet last night with United Future leader Peter Dunne to discuss a late compromise also raised expectations.

Mr Dunne's party has drawn up a supplementary order paper suggesting the Government remove the private prison references from the bill.

United Future wants the Government to instead embark on a review of the prison's management, deferring decisions about its future until it is completed.

Mr Dunne said it would be a "good faith" agreement, which would not prevent the Government failing to renew the contract once the review was completed.

The Government did not have to legislate to bring the contract back under the management of the Corrections Department. This would make it easier for future governments to reintroduce private management if they wished, he said.

Mrs Turia also urged the Government to commit to the review, saying "there is evidence that the culture implemented at [the remand prison] is working for our people".

National corrections spokesman Tony Ryall said the Government's Maori caucus was putting similar pressure on the Government to back down.

But Mr Swain indicated before last night's meeting this was unlikely.

His office said the delay in the final reading was the result of a technical issue, unrelated to last night's negotiations.

Mr Swain said it had always been the Government's position that prisons should be publicly managed.

"I need to say the basic policy position the Government has won't change at this late stage."

Auckland Central Remand Prison

* New Zealand's first privately run prison, the jail is managed by Australasian Correctional Management Ltd under a five-year contract with the Department of Corrections which expires in 2005.

* Opened in July 2000, the jail is the main reception prison for newly remanded male inmates from the Northland and Auckland regions.

* The prison houses 299 inmates, with capacity for up to 360 if necessary. Remand offenders spend on average 14 to 16 days in the prison.