MYTH: “PRISONS TREAT PEOPLE TOO WELL” Recent Ombudsmen’s reports have revealed tha
MYTH: “PRISONS TREAT PEOPLE TOO WELL” Recent Ombudsmen’s reports have revealed that prisoners are not even treated adequately, let alone well. They have found that the drinking water in some New Zealand prisons is discoloured, and that some prisoners are not even provided with drinking cups. Prisoners usually have their final meal of the day at 4pm, meaning that it is common for them to go 16 hours without any food. The Ombudsmen have also discovered that many prisoners are put in double-bunked cells far too small to accommodate two people; many do not get daily exercise or fresh air; many prisoners have to eat their meals next to an uncovered toilet; and many prisoners do not have regular access to clean clothing and sheets. The reports have uncovered that prison staff are able to watch some prisoners, even in their most intimate moments – getting dressed, using the toilet, and washing themselves. This is supposedly done in the name of safety, but instead makes prisoners feel degraded. Every prisoner is also required by law to be strip searched when they enter and leave the prison, as well as on many other occasions. During a strip search, officers have full authority to invade the prisoner’s body, including “lifting and raising” their “fat, genitalia, and breasts.” Despite how invasive this is, nothing is found in 99.59% of strip searches. Strip searches amount to senseless sexual assault and nothing else. Although strip searches are supposed to prevent harm, the Ombudsmen have nonetheless found an extremely high level of unreported prisoner-on-prisoner assaults. Many prisoners feel unsafe going about their everyday lives in prison. Referring to both other prisoners and prison staff, many prisoners describe the culture of the prison as one of “victimisation and intimidation.” Those who are most at risk of this violence are often placed in conditions akin to solitary confinement, where they may be stuck in their cell for up to 23 hours a day and cut off from contact with others. These conditions have been defined as a form of degrading treatment according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture. This reveals that not only are prisoners not treated “too well,” but that they are barely treated like people at all. http://ift.tt/2kkG2lD http://ift.tt/2jwD8WD -- source link
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