The 16 inmates who surrendered this afternoon after protesting allegedly inhumane conditions at Waikeria Prison had not "raised any issues" prior to the six-day standoff, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says.
In a press conference today, Davis - joined by Department of Corrections chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot incident controller Jeanette Burns - says they are "extremely glad it is over".
"However, we had hoped it would have taken less time than the six days it has taken to resolve the situation but critically, everyone is safe," Davis says.
Inmates protesting at the high-security facility surrendered peacefully at 12.37pm today following the standoff.
"All 16 men have now been secured by staff and have received water, food, access to medical staff and the ability to speak with kaumātua. They will shortly be transported to other prisons," he says.
Davis says only one person - a prisoner - was injured during the protests after he was assaulted by the 16 other men following an attempt to surrender on New Year's Eve. No Corrections staff or other inmates were injured in the incident.
“The group has destroyed the top jail at Waikeria Prison, rendering it unusable. Responsibility for laying charges in relation to the destruction of the facility lies with the police.”
The mother and cousin of two of the 16 inmates say the men are “being treated like animals”. (Source: Other)
He added that there are "many legitimate avenues for prisoners to raise concerns about their conditions, including through the Independent Corrections Inspectorate and the Corrections Ombudsman," but that the prisoners "used none of those avenues and never raised any issues prior to this event".
“It is my view that the underlying reasons for their actions are not what they claim," he says.
Davis' public appearance today comes after mounting criticism over his silence during the standoff, with previous attempts by the National and Māori parties calling on the minister to address the standoff being rejected. Davis said he would comment after the incident was resolved.
In his first public comments since the standoff began, released in a written press statement, Davis said the majority of those involved in the protest were members of the Mongols and Comancheros gangs, with five of them deportees from Australia.
Three were subject to returning offender orders because of their criminal convictions.
“The arson, violence and destruction carried out by these men were reckless criminal acts that put themselves, other prisoners, Corrections staff and emergency services in danger,” he said.
“No one should glorify the actions of these prisoners. They damaged property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and they put their own lives and the health and safety of staff and other prisoners at risk.
“There is never an excuse for resorting to violence and destruction."
Corrections will undertake a “comprehensive review” into how the situation was able to evolve, he says.
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