Corrections are “disappointed” that the Auckland Pride Board have suggested they should withdraw their application to this year’s Pride Parade and say they have spent the past year working towards providing better treatment for trans prisoners. Acting Northern Region Commissioner Alastair Riach, says “Corrections is disappointed at the Pride organiser’s stance about our Rainbow staff marching in the upcoming Pride Parade.” “Corrections has a diverse staff, including many people from the LGBTI community who are proud to work for Corrections and we are proud of them,” he says. “Corrections staff marched in the last two parades and we have passionate staff who want to march again as part of a Corrections contingent. For Corrections, taking part in the parade is about celebrating the diversity of the people who work in our organisation and the people we work with.” With the suggestion from Pride that staff members join AUT or NZAF contingents in the parade, Riach says “We are now considering our options.” The Pride Board states that their decision to ask the Department to withdraw their application was due to a lack of progress relating to the care of transgender prisoners despite the Corrections claiming to be making improvements. Riach believes that Corrections have in fact proved they are working towards this and mentions the transgender action plan that the Department have alluded to over the past months but not revealed any details about, despite being asked to clarify further. According Riach, the Department intends to “consult with a wide range of LGBTI groups, a key source of expert guidance, along with other relevant agencies” about the plan. “Over the past year Corrections has been working on a new approach to the management of transgender prisoners to bring New Zealand into line with international best practice. We are disappointed that this is not good enough for the Pride organisers,” he says. “The new approach is intended to better recognise and protect the rights of transgender prisoners to live as their identified gender, and is not dependent on whether they are placed in a men’s or women’s prison. The approach will be individualised and developed in consultation with each trans prisoner.” The main points of the plan he says include a “safe management plan” for each trans prisoner that will “recognise the diversity among the trans prisoner population”, will be regularly reviewed with the prisoner and “will cover how the prisoner’s management will ensure their safety, dignity and privacy.” He says that as well as this, “trans prisoners will have access to personal items required to maintain their gender appearance” and “be accommodated in single cells, unless they provide informed consent to be placed in shared accommodation with other trans prisoners of the same biological sex.” If the plan is indeed finalised, trans prisoners will also be searched in accordance to their gender identity, “unless an alternative approach is more appropriate”. “Corrections sought out international best practice when developing the plan, including reviewing guidelines produced in New South Wales, Scotland, England and Wales and Canada,” says Riach, “The United Nations Handbook on the Treatment of Special Needs Prisoners was reviewed, as were the searching policies of New Zealand Customs and Police.” He says the Department also contracted a member of the trans community to interview trans prisoners and assist in the development of support systems for them. Riach estimates that any any one time there are roughly 12-20 trans prisoners out of a prison population of around 10,000 people. “Corrections has a duty of care to all prisoners and we recognise that transgender prisoners are a particularly vulnerable group.” Activist group, No Pride in Prisons have been calling for better treatment of trans prisoners in New Zealand correction facilities and for the past two years have called on the Pride Board to prevent both Corrections and the New Zealand Police from marching in the parade. In November members of the group, who advocate for a number of trans prisoners, had their visitation rights revoked following a protest action which included members chaining themselves inside a Hamilton Corrections Department office. Riach says “Corrections is working to ensure that trans prisoners will have access to support and guidance from external people in the trans community while in prison and on transition after release.” “Mount Eden Corrections Facility and Auckland South Corrections Facility both have trans consultants who conduct support groups and other work with trans prisoners. Women’s prisons have on-site social workers and counsellors who provide support to trans prisoners depending on their needs.” As well as the plan that is said to be in the pipelines, Riach says a comprehensive programme of training and education for prison staff is being developed, however “Corrections has 3000 prison staff, and the complexity and implementation of new policies should not be underestimated.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 1st February 2017 - 12:09pm