9. RON MARK (NZ First) Link to this
to the Minister of Corrections
Does he have confidence in the information he receives from his department?
Hon MITA RIRINUIWhen the Minister stated on 19 February on Radio New Zealand: “The thing that concerns me is that people assume this is right across the prison system. It is not. This is one unit, perhaps, in Rimutaka.”, had the Department of Corrections informed him that in November 2006 a Canterbury prison officer reported to prison managers that corrupt officers were smuggling in P and up to 28 cellphones per month, and names of officers were provided, and has that management, which is the same management who were responsible for overseeing and running the “goon squad”, briefed him on that incident?
The member raises a number of issues on which, I am sure, the Minister of Corrections has responded to him directly. There are a couple of matters that are currently subject to investigation, and I am sure the member appreciates that.
How can he have confidence in the information provided by the Department of Corrections when honest prison officers who take enormous risks reporting allegations of smuggling and corruption to prison managers are, firstly, ignored, secondly, put at risk when the fact that they have passed on that information is deliberately leaked back to the inmates and the officers involved, and, thirdly, suspended and investigated for alleged misdemeanours?
All allegations and accusations are treated very seriously within the department. I am not familiar with the particular issue the member refers to, but I would be more than happy to follow that up and come back to him with an answer.
Can the Minister see that as long as the department is run by people such as those who led the “goon squad”, who regionally oversaw and approved of its corrupt and illegal activities, and who at head office level failed to bring that region and its squad to account, seeking instead to justify their decisions not to fire anyone, he will never be able to have confidence in the quality of information provided to him by his department?