工党司法事务发言人查尔斯•沙维尔 (Charles Chauvel)
国家党政府根据一些过时的数据和预测来决定投建更多私营监狱是在浪费纳税人宝贵的资金。
国家党受意识形态驱使,坚持认为私营监狱总是比国营监狱要好。纽西兰人将会为此付出沉重代价。
根据官方信息法案 (Official Information Act), 奥克兰Wiri监狱私有化的计划是依据过时的监狱人口预测数据而设定的。这个计划预计到2020年,将需要2,065张监狱床位以容纳10,306个人犯。问题是,最新的2020监狱人口统计预测显示到时监狱人数将只有8165人,这比私有化计划所估计的要少2141人。而政府依然打算要锁定-份金额高达$9亿,为期30年之久的合约,让私有企业来建设与管制900张新设的监狱床位。
奥克兰地区的确是需要更大的监狱容量,但首先是应该翻新奥克兰的Paremoremo监狱(这个监狱眼下有不少破败的狱室还闲置着)――这才是运用稀缺的公共资金的更好方式。同时,也可从根本上增加奥克兰Wiri区现有的两个监禁设施的容量。
政府根本解释不出为什么这些设施不能公共拥有和经营。
没有任何证据能证明私营监狱比公营监狱更有效率,政府只是无视这个事实而坚持将奥克兰Wiri监狱私有化。
另一个事实是:管制奥克兰Mt Eden惩教设施的Serco公司未能达到其目标的40%,而且这家公司因违反现有合约义务的罚款不久就将会高达$40万。
这表明国家党痴迷私有化根本是不合理的。 (霍建强议员办公室 供稿)
Charles
CHAUVEL
Justice Spokesperson
29th June 2012
MEDIA STATEMENT
National’s wasteful spending on private prisons
The Government is wasting valuable taxpayer dollars on funding more private prisons based on outdated numbers and forecasts, says Labour’s Justice Spokesperson Charles Chauvel.
“National is ploughing ahead with an ideologically-driven belief that somehow private prisons are better than facilities run by the State. This attitude will cost New Zealanders dearly.
“Using the Official Information Act, I’ve obtained documents showing that the business case for the Wiri prison is based on outdated prison population forecasts. It calls for 2,065 new prison beds by 2020 for an assumed prison population of 10,306. The problem is that the latest 2020 prison population forecast is only 8165 - 2141 fewer beds than the business case assumes. Yet the Government plans to lock New Zealand into a $900 million, 30-year contract for the private sector to build and operate 900 new prison beds.
“More prison capacity may well be needed in the Auckland area. But prioritising the refurbishment of Auckland Prison at Paremoremo, which has run-down units lying empty at the moment, would be a better use of scarce public funds. Ultimately, so would adding more general capacity at the site of the two custodial facilities that already exist at Wiri.
“There is simply no reason that any such additional capacity should not be publicly-owned and operated. By insisting on Wiri being built and operated privately, the Government is ignoring the fact that there is no evidence that private prisons are operated more effectively and efficiently than public prisons.
“In fact, Serco has failed to meet 40% of its existing targets at the Mt Eden Corrections Facility and its fines for breaches of existing contractural obligations will also soon reach $400,000.
“This shows that National’s obsession with privatisation simply doesn’t stack up,” says Charles Chauvel.