Time to go, Serco – and all private prisons - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Chief Inspector of Corrections’ damning report into fight clubs at the Serco-run Mt Eden Correctional Facility definitively shows why the Government should give up on its private-prisons experiment, the Green Party said today.

While Serco no longer has the contract for Mt Eden Correctional Facility, they continue to run Wiri Prison. There has also been speculation that a new prison will need to be built shortly to deal with increased prisoner numbers.

“It’s time for Serco – and all private companies – to get out of our prisons, for good,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

“The bottom line is that Serco can’t be trusted to run our prisons, and the Government should immediately cut all ties to this negligent company.

“This report clearly shows that there has been a complete lack of oversight by Corrections and the Government over our prisons, and Serco has taken advantage of that.

“While the Government has accepted all 21 recommendations from the report, they also need to accept that nothing good is coming from having private companies involved in our prisons.

“Any new prisons that may be built in the future should not have any private company involvement – the Government must make that commitment to New Zealanders.

“The incentives to run a private prison are all wrong, and staff and inmates lives have been endangered unnecessarily by Serco.

“The Green Party supports the establishment of an independent prison inspectorate, which would ensure that reports of abuse, ill treatment, and fight clubs in our prisons would come to light much earlier, and hold those responsible to account,” said Mrs Turei.

Action

How to get involved - Treaty Principles

Information on how to make a submission, volunteer or run your own event.

Action

Submit for Climate Action

Submit today to ask the Government to commit to strong Climate Change targets.

Action

Treaty Principles - Make a submission

Join our submission. Let's make it clear that we do not support the Treaty Principles bill.

Action

Ditch the Bootcamps - Sign our petition

Sign our petition demanding an end to bootcamps for children.

Action

Build Dunedin Hospital

Take our poll on how the Government should spend its money, and email Christopher Luxon telling him your thoughts.

Action

Oil & Gas Quick Submissions 2024

Sign the quick submission to save the oil & gas ban!

Action

Stop Fast-track Destruction

Join our call to stop the Fast-track Approvals Bill.

Action

Protect te reo Māori

Sign our petition asking Minister Erica Stanford to keep prioritising the teaching of te reo Māori.

Action

Cut the Coal Petition | Join the movement

Fight back: Tell the government that coal mining is not our future.

Action

Protect Our Freshwater

Join our Green MPs in calling for the government to protect freshwater. Proposed changes to the Resource Management Act threaten New Zealand's...

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Justice Announcements

Story

Failed boot camp experiment must end

As legislation to set up boot camps passed its first reading, the Green Party urged the Government to abandon this failed policy experiment for the...

Justice Select Committee opens floor for Treaty Principles submissions

Today, the Justice Select Committee has decided to officially open submissions for the controversial Treaty Principles Bill.

Greens join King’s Counsel in calling for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned

The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill.

Not too late to abandon the Bill, Christopher

The Green Party is urgently calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following reports it will be introduc...

Govt must maintain Treaty provisions in Corrections Bill

The Green Party is calling on the Government to support its proposed amendments to leave Treaty provisions in the Corrections Bill.

Greens call on Luxon to abandon Treaty Principles Bill following Waitangi Tribunal report

The Green Party is calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing rep...