The last remaining female prisoners in Mt Eden Women’s Prison have been moved to the new Auckland Region Women’s Correctional Facility which opened in June.
Northern Regional Manager Warren Cummins says the vacated prison will become a reintegration unit. It will house male prisoners who are serving the final 12 months of their sentence and who would benefit from specialist support before they return to the community.
“The closure of Mt Eden Women’s brings to an end more than 100 years of holding women prisoners at the Mt Eden site,” Warren says.
“Over the years, the prison has held a number of high profile offenders, including Dominique Prieur, the French agent implicated in the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.”
“But the new women’s prison is a much more appropriate facility, reflecting the best practices in managing and rehabilitating offenders in a safe and secure environment,” he says.
Until 1959, female prisoners at Mt Eden were housed in the north wing extension and a wooden building in the main prison.
In 1965 the last female prisoners moved out of the main prison into the former superintendent’s residence. The old wooden building within the prison walls was demolished to become the maximum security block in 1966.
Mt Eden Women’s Prison had capacity for 54 remand prisoners and those serving short sentences. It had dormitory style accommodation until new cells were provided in 1988.
While decisions are being made about the future of the site, a reintegration unit will be based there to provide custodial accommodation for around 50 prisoners with low-medium or minimum security classifications.
It will provide a structured environment where Release to Work and vocational training opportunities can be maximised. Prisoners held in the unit will get help finding accommodation and employment, as well as assistance with practical life skills such as managing debt.
Below: Mt Eden Women’s prison - soon to
become a reintegration unit for male prisoners.
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