Corrections say that one of the No Pride in Prisons members who protested on Tuesday has received a temporary ban from visiting Spring Hill Corrections Facility “because his actions on Tuesday present a risk to the safety and security of the prison site”. Spring Hill Corrections Facility They say “The transgender prisoner has received a visit from another approved visitor, whom Corrections staff drove back down the road after the visit (as her driver was the banned visitor).” No Pride in Prisons have claimed that three of its members have had their access to a trans inmate - whom they advocate for - restricted because of their protest actions this week. While No Pride in Prisons say the inmate is subject to solitary confinement Corrections refute this and say “She is particularly vulnerable and is being closely managed for her own care and protection, with appropriate professional mental health care and support. “She is on a regime of protective directed segregation for her own safety. She is currently unable to mix with other prisoners as she has a history of making false allegations against other prisoners and staff. She is receiving all her minimum entitlements and on most days she has more than this. She is also allowed to make telephone calls to approved numbers. She is currently able to spend an hour on the phone each day, which is significantly more than most prisoners. She is entitled to receive visitors regularly, and interacts with staff.” The spokesperson reiterated Corrections transgender action plan that they say is in the pipeline and say “Corrections is undertaking a comprehensive programme of work to help support transgender prisoners. This will cover accessibility to support services, appropriate healthcare, appropriate rehabilitation and safety plans for vulnerable prisoners.” GayNZ.com Daily News have questioned Corrections about the details and the completion date of the proposed plan and this information will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 25th November 2016 - 5:45pm