Prison group to Department of Corrections: “stop torturing prisoners”

Prison advocacy group No Pride in Prisons says that the treatment of prisoners held in 23-hour lockdown is akin to torture.

No Pride in Prisons spokeswoman Emilie Rākete says, “23-hour lockdown, where prisoners are isolated from human contact for extended periods of time, is known overseas as solitary confinement. The United Nations has categorised this kind of treatment as torture.”

The organisation says that it has been in contact with a transgender woman who was recently moved to an isolation unit at Spring Hill Corrections Facility. “Corrections told the woman that she was moved to solitary ‘for her own safety.’”

“Since being placed in solitary she has been effectively cut off from all other inmates. For the brief moments when she is allowed out of her cell, she is not allowed to spend time with others.”

“The woman was also allegedly prevented from leaving her cell for an entire weekend and was told by staff that she would not be let out of her cell if staff were too busy.”

“She said that if she is not moved out of isolation soon, she will end up leaving in a body bag.”

“Isolation is a serious threat to the safety of this prisoner and all other prisoners,” says Rākete.

No Pride in Prisons says all the international evidence shows that solitary confinement and isolation leads to poor outcomes for prisoners and society. “People who are put in solitary confinement come out scarred.”

“People placed in solitary are more likely to attempt suicide, experience psychosis, experience PTSD on release, and are less prepared to reintegrate into society upon release.”

“There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for solitary confinement to be used as either punishment or for safety. No Pride in Prisons is calling on Corrections to stop torturing prisoners and to end the use of isolation units.”

The organisation will be holding three pickets across the country at 12:00pm tomorrow to put pressure on the Department of Corrections to release the woman from solitary confinement and to end the practice of isolation.

In Auckland, No Pride in Prisons will picket the Northern Regional Office of the Department of Corrections. Organisers are also planning pickets outside the Lower North Regional Office in Wellington Central, as well as outside the Dunedin Central Community Corrections office.

For Facebook events for the pickets see here:

Auckland: https://www.facebook.com/events/1171715686199551/

Wellington: https://www.facebook.com/events/1240189472694387/

Dunedin: https://www.facebook.com/events/1113322645454414/

ENDS

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