Collins should go full circle on Serco

Judith Collins must clean up the Serco mess she started almost five years ago to the day if reports of her re-appointment as Corrections Minister are confirmed, the Green Party says.

Judith Collins awarded Serco the contract to run Mt Eden Correctional Facility in December 2010, when she was Corrections Minister. At the time she said: “The appointment of Serco as the contract manager for Mt Eden/ACRP will bring in new ideas and international best practice which will benefit the entire corrections sector. Serco has a strong track record in managing prisons. I'm confident that the company will bring the high standards of professionalism, safety, rehabilitation and security expected by the Government to Mt Eden/ACRP.”

“Five years on, Serco’s so-called new ideas and best practice have been revealed to be all about cutting staff to boost prison profits, and a tolerance of fight clubs,” said Green Party Corrections spokesperson David Clendon.

“The first thing Judith Collins should do, if she has her old job back, is clean up the mess she created and get Serco out of New Zealand prisons.

“The privatisation of New Zealand prisons has been a disaster.

“Serco has cut staffing levels at Mount Eden, locked up teenage prisoners for 23 hours a day because it didn’t have the staff to keep them safe, and turned its back on fight clubs operating in the prison.

“There were plenty of warning signs about Serco’s international track record before Judith Collins signed the company over the rights to run Mt Eden Prison to them, and now she is obliged to get the public of New Zealand out of that deal,” Mr Clendon said.

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