Should prisons be run by private companies? What reforms should be made?

Updated: 9:19AM Thursday August 6, 2009

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Corrections Minister Judith Collins has tagged the replacement Mt Eden Prison as the first jail to potentially be put into private management.

The Mt Eden redevelopment is due to take inmates in 2011 - and yesterday Ms Collins said she was looking at putting it under such management then.

She previously said the Government's preference was for new prisons to be considered for private management. Mt Eden is a replacement prison, rather than completely new.

Should prisons be run by private companies? What reforms should be made? Here is the latest selection of Your Views

fiona cole (Taupo Bay)
Thursday August 6, 2009 I have just been reading some of the views associated with the prison system here in N.Z. I believe that the prisons should stay within the crown for the sake of the prisoners.

To me it seems like the government can't be bothered dealing with prisoners who are locked up. Believe me it is no Holiday in a prison and i can tell you that the men's prison's get more comfort's than the woman's prison's.

There is no rehabilitation in prison, There are no D.V.D players or movies played through a flat screen T.V. Not all prisoners are evil, bad, and blame the world for there problems.

There is alot more that you as the public never hear or see. There should be no Parole for any offender who has committed an awlful crime, Why? because they have not been rehabilatated to enter into society.

This should not be about privatising prison's it should be about helping the so called "scum" to be "normal" to get an education, to learn values, and morals, to like themselves as humans, all the government need's to do are put professional people, who want to work with high and low offenders break a "cycle" that they are so used to living, it' simple.

chris davinci (New South Wales)
Monday July 27, 2009 It's amusing to read all these posts by unsophisticated, uneducated low IQ peasants waving their pitchforks and ranting about how prisoners have it easy.

Their feeble minds can't grasp the idea that perhaps the justice system is there to serve those in power and not the people, there are many in jail who're innocent and many in power perpetrating enormous crimes on the populace.

Why do you think they spend hundred's of thousands sending the innocent to jail in high profile cases and don't want to help hospitals out with a bit of extra funding to save lives?

It's because of pure self-interest. Prisons do nothing to aid in rehabilitation, they're not interested, they need reoffending because the prison system is a business employing thousands.You peasants need to put down your pitchforks, learn to read and think and draw valid conclusions from the obvious premises.

It's no surprise that those in favour of rehabilitation and prison alternatives are the more educated, intelligent portion of the population.

Lynley Carter (Pakuranga)
Monday July 6, 2009 Yes, once before we had a private company running a prison and we had fewer escapes, fewer assaults and an improved rate of non-reoffending from inmates. A far better result all round.

Aaron Co (Rotorua)
Thursday July 2, 2009 I dont see a problem with it, I also think the inmates should have to work while on the inside to earn their keep and subsidize the govt cash input.
I,m sick of paying for other peoples crime.

Let's make our prisons work for the honest people for a change. make it a punishment not a holiday camp where they can have tv's and computers and air conditioning.

deborah mortimer (United Kingdom)
Tuesday June 30, 2009 Personally i think prisons should be abandoned, there are enough islands around nz or Antarctic we could bung the buggers on and let them go for it. Prisons are big business today and getting bigger, all law abiding NZ'S should get shares in them, not privatise them. another government incentive is it.