GUEST BLOG: Arthur Taylor – RESPECT

Inmate baiting PCO Prinsloo was back on the landing yesterday . With 2.5 hours , he had charged 3 inmates over trivial offences .

In my charge sheet last week , he claimed I had invaded his personal space , but yesterday, he did just this to at least 1 inmate – entering his cell alone ( breach of officer procedure ) & getting up close and having his body camera switched off .

I know the Unit Manager had words with him last week , but Unit & Prison Managers don’t work weekends , so obviously he feels relaxed .

I’ve found officers who start off treating inmates with a modicum of respect have the least trouble with them ,and it helps with the inmates’ rehabilitation.

“He was ranting and raving about his rights” reads my Charge Sheet from Corrections PCO Prinsloo . He had earlier charged me for being in another cell to watch Lisa Owen interview me on “Newshub Nation” about the Witness C Perjury Prosecution .

Now Officer Prinsloo was trying to abruptly end my phone call . His view on prisoner rights is as clear an indication as you could get that he should not have authority over prisoners .

I may have a a conflict of interest in this case , but Courts have considered me an expert in Prison Rules – even preferring my testimony on the subject over that of the Corrections Dept witnesses . I don’t “rant and rave” about Prison Rules .

I heard he wanted to use these Charge Sheets to send me to the pound for a week and have me lose my TV & radio for a month . I immediately filed at the High Court in Hamilton .

Both these charges are now the subject of an Injunction from High Court Justice Whata preventing them being heard by the Prison’s Visiting Justice until my High Court challenge to the arbitrary Waikeria Rule regime is heard in the High Court .

The New Auckland Maxi Prison has a “sensory garden” giving prisoners a secure space where they can sit quietly, reflect or talk but most of all enjoy living plants, a waterfall on a rock feature and a green mound of artificial grass.” ( NZ Herald )

It also has cells 55% larger than the old ones , & dual corridors . Excellent features , but if managers described (indirectly) by the Ombudsman as “incapable”, such as Tom Sherlock & Solomon Nui, set the culture, the outcomes for inmates and the community will be little changed from the old Pare .

Arthur Taylor is The Daily Blog’s Prisoner Rights blogger inside prison