在新西兰
惩教部长安•托丽评价新西兰目前的唯一一所私营监狱的经营进展,用的形容词是“相当之好”,而工党司法事务发言人查尔斯•沙威尔认为,“令人难堪”才是准确得多的评价。 3名犯人被不当释放,3个错
3名犯人被不当释放,3个错误的拘留,一次逃狱事件外加狱犯改造计划72%的失败率――凡此种种,没有一样可称之为进展,可是这的确便是国家党政府呈现给公众的私营监狱管理公司Serco的一系列最新“成就”。
国家党政府不惜一切代价执意要将监狱私有化,所以他们不去审查Serco对Mt Eden监狱的管理是否得当,却还要把另一个油水颇丰的新Wiri监狱的经营合同交到它手里。
发生逃狱、错误拘押、不恰当地提早释放犯人等等已经够糟糕的了,因为这些都从根本上揭示Serco管控监狱的能力。但是Serco公司连犯人改造计划都无法完成则令人更加担忧Serco有没有能力与意愿去遵守政府政策。
政府一再表示它们要重新定位惩教部的政策,将把重点放在犯人的改造以及减少重新犯罪上。出于这个目的,他们刚刚花费1000万纽元进行机构重组并裁掉了100个工作岗位。改造犯人的重点是需要有针对性的犯人改造计划,有的放矢,列出在押期间的目标和改造步骤。
Serco貌似在Mt Eden监狱推行了高压政策以保证他们的利润,所以他们在72%的案子中把这个关键要求(赢利)作为前提。
一旦Serco接手Wiri监狱而延续他们的上述做法,那么政府政策能否在一个私营监狱被执行就是一个严重问题。
等Wiri监狱开始运作,Serco负责的将是最高可达25%的全国监狱人口。如果只有28%的改造计划能及时完成,将给国家党政府声称要全力实施的犯人改造项目造成沉重的打击。
是不是让Wiri合同按现有方案进行下去,安•托丽需要三思而后行。(霍建强议员办公室供稿)
Charles CHAUVEL Justice Spokesperson 6 July 2012 MEDIA STATEMENT
Private prison ‘progress’ an embarrassment
Corrections Minister Anne Tolley describes progress at New Zealand’s only private prison as ‘decent’. A far more appropriate word would be ‘embarrassing’, Labour’s Justice spokesperson Charles Chauvel says.
"Three improper inmate releases, three wrongful detentions, one escape and a 72 per cent failure rate to get inmate plans could in no way be described as progress, yet that’s exactly how the government is presenting Serco's latest set of ‘achievements’.
"Such is National's determination to privatise at all costs that, instead of a review of Serco's fitness to operate Mt Eden, its reward remains another lucrative contract from the state to operate the new Wiri prison,” Charles Chauvel said.
"The escapes, wrongful detentions and improper early releases are bad enough, since they go to the heart of Serco's ability to ensure the lawful containment of inmates. But the failure to get inmate plans in place points to an even more worrying phenomenon - Serco's ability and willingness to comply with Government policy.
"National has made much of its stated desire to reorient Corrections' policy and operations in favour of reducing re-offending and rehabilitating inmates. It has just finished one $10m restructuring with the loss of over 100 jobs with this in mind. Central to rehabilitation is the need for inmates to be on a plan that identifies their issues and needs and sets out how they are going to be met during their time in prison.
"Serco appears to be running such a pressure cooker environment at Mt Eden in order to preserve its profitability that it is willing to forego this key requirement in 72 per cent of cases.
“If that approach is also followed at Wiri once Serco is running it, serious questions arise as to whether Government policy can be expected to be applied by a private sector prison operator. "When Wiri is up and running, Serco will be responsible for up to 25 per cent of the overall prison population. If there are only 28 per cent of inmate plans in place on time that puts a serious dent in the Government's stated commitment to rehabilitation.
"Anne Tolley has some serious thinking to do about the wisdom of letting the Wiricontract proceed in its current form", Charles Chauvel said