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[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-kvqf50iy’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”] 10 November 2021<\/b> [av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’20’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-5djeq3′ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-kvt6xvrx’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”] Minister of Corrections, Hon Kelvin Davis<\/p>\n CEO of Corrections, Jeremy Lightfoot<\/p>\n Minister for Women, Hon Jan Tinetti<\/p>\n Secretary of Corrections Association of NZ, Mike Woodland<\/p>\n Green Party Spokesperson for Corrections, Golriz Ghahraman<\/p>\n Maori Party Co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer<\/p>\n National Party Spokesperson for Corrections, Simeon Brown [av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’20’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-3hmhqz’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-kvt6vwr2′ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n \n Open Letter from Women\u2019s Liberation Aotearoa about the Safety of Women Prisoners<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear Minister of Corrections, Minister for Women, CEO of Corrections, Secretary of Corrections Association of New Zealand, Green Party Spokesperson for Corrections, \u00a0Maori Party Co-leader,\u00a0 and National Party Spokesperson for Corrections,<\/p>\n We are pleased to hear New Zealand Department of Corrections state \u2013 after RNZ\u2019s exposures of examples of grossly unacceptable practices in New Zealand\u2019s prisons \u2013 that it aims to be a “world-leading centre of excellence for the management and care of women prisoners.\u201d We trust that aim applies with equal force to all who are in prison.<\/p>\n New Zealand has an unacceptably high rate of incarceration, especially of Maori and Pasifika, (1) which the Labour government claims to be committed to reducing. Whilst there has been some reduction in absolute numbers, the ethnic ratio remains unaltered, and the ratio of remand to sentenced prisoners has increased. (2)<\/p>\n The figures are a grim reminder of what should be widely regarded as a national disgrace, and they cannot be dismissed glibly with claims of a general increase in criminality or of gang related crime.<\/p>\n In economic terms alone, the costs of this level of incarceration and holding people on remand are unsustainable. In terms of natural justice and simple humanity, they are indefensible.<\/p>\n In relation to the incarceration of women:<\/p>\n Corrections does no analysis of prisoners\u2019 socio-economic status, but it\u2019s a fair assumption that most come from conditions of socio-economic deprivation, not privilege.<\/p>\n By any sensible and humane measure, these are extraordinarily vulnerable women.<\/p>\n It is also fair to argue that there are many for whom prison is both unnecessary and immensely harmful. The adverse impacts on wider whanau of the imprisonment of women are well documented.<\/p>\n In that context, the sort of \u201cprisoner management\u201d systems that have been deployed by New Zealand Corrections in women\u2019s prisons, such as the shackling of pregnant women, use of pepper spray, long term isolation, etc, are rightly condemned as forms of psychological and physical torture, and are as out of place in New Zealand in the 21st<\/sup> century as it is possible to imagine.<\/p>\n They also make an absolute mockery of the rehabilitative claims for incarceration, and reveal it as essentially, and often starkly, punitive and brutalising.<\/p>\n In light of all the above, the government\u2019s failure to repeal legislation that has played a key part in the massive increase in New Zealand\u2019s prison population and the development of a punitive, US-style penal culture makes it hard to see its use of its absolute majority to push through sex self-identification<\/strong> against a considerable weight of public opinion, as anything other than cynical or short sighted.<\/p>\n You do not have to have any specialist knowledge to be aware that alongside the probable existence of male-born transgender prisoners who pose a threat to women (4) (5), \u00a0there will be male prisoners who will use sex self-ID as a loophole to:<\/p>\n Prisons are an area in which the inevitable failures of this well-meaning but essentially wrong-headed legislation will attract the most attention. People from both sides of this most polarised and polarising issue will be watching to see whether and in what ways women\u2019s or trans prisoners\u2019 rights are being breached.<\/p>\n Our concern is solely with female prisoners and female corrections officers. We expect you to take every possible step to prioritise their safety and well-being both as a matter of course, and especially once sex self-ID provisions are passed into law.<\/p>\n We call on you to give prisoners and their families, groups concerned with prisoner welfare and with women\u2019s and indigenous rights, your own employees or members, and the general public, categorical assurances that the standards of management will be improved, and the introduction of sex self-ID will not result in the exposure of female prisoners or female employees to increased risk of physical or psychological harm.<\/p>\n Yours sincerely,<\/p>\n Women\u2019s Liberation Aotearoa.<\/p>\n \n [\/av_textblock]<\/p>\n [av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’50’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-2k6sez’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-kvt6wdz6′ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n \n Notes:<\/p>\n Image Credit: Klaus with K.<\/p>\n
\nBy: Women’s Liberation Aotearoa<\/strong><\/p>\n
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