It’s often said that prisons mirror what’s happening in our communities. So with 30-plus gangs now operating in New Zealand, it makes sense that the prison population includes many gang members.
Gang involvement in the “P” industry, a significant increase in youth gangs and high profile murder cases involving gangs have heightened public awareness and caused people to ask: How does Corrections manage these most challenging of prisoners?
The answer is simple. The Department’s more recent and ongoing efforts to stop contraband entering prisons is having a profound impact.
The first step to managing imprisoned gang members is the induction interview. Every prisoner is interviewed at reception and it’s here where they often declare a gang affiliation. It’s not compulsory for gang members to identify themselves as such and recent trends show that only 20 to 25 per cent of prisoners do so.
Corrections Service Support Manager Karen Urwin says not only are gang members not always upfront about their affiliation but they sometimes change them once in prison. “Intelligence in our prisons keeps an eye on whether people do this,” says Karen.
A breakdown of offence types committed by imprisoned gang members has shown violence to be the most common offence. So last year, Corrections developed a comprehensive gang-related Organised Crime Strategy that was fed into the whole-of-Government approach to organised crime.
The 2007 murder of a child in Wanganui and growing concern among the public and politicians that gangs were posing an increasing danger to the community, including prisons, prompted the Government to establish a multi-department organised crime agency.
Initiatives directed at solving the issue have included the introduction of drug dogs, vehicle checks, body searches, cell searches, cellphone blocking and telephone monitoring.
More recent initiatives designed to address gang-related activities within prisons include heightened information gathering and subsequent collation and analysis to produce intelligence used to counter gang activities.
Prisons are gang-neutral environments
Prisons are managed as gang neutral environments. While Corrections is aware of gang affiliations, sentence management and the placement of prisoners is not determined by them.
However, prisoners can apply to be segregated if they believe other prisoners would pose a risk to them.
Gang colours are not allowed to be worn by prisoners or visitors. And prisoners are discouraged from gang involvement through the prohibition of gang-related insignia, drawings, clothing, posters or any other gang paraphernalia. The Department takes claims of gang intimidation in prisons very seriously.
“Corrections regularly and robustly monitors and investigates gang-related activities in prisons,” says Karen. “Intelligence is actively gathered as a means of ensuring the safety of staff and other prisoners and this has always been a key focus for Corrections.
“Corrections also fully co-operates with wider Police initiatives to address gang activities that interface with the Department’s responsibilities.”
Management of gangs in prisons
Q. Are gangs separated in prison to help avoid gang tensions?
A. Corrections considers gang affiliations when placing prisoners in units. However, it’s often unavoidable for members of different gangs to be housed together. If members of two different gangs are in one unit, Corrections does all it can to ensure one gang is not outnumbered by the other.
Q. Is there a concerted effort to prevent gang members from congregating in prison?
A. There are times when gang members are housed together in a unit. This will occur if they are assigned to the Drug Treatment Unit for example or if they work together in the kitchen.
Q. Does Corrections have systems in place for addressing gang-related activities in prison?
A. Corrections’ operational intelligence is based on best-practice models of intelligence seen in justice sector agencies such as Police and Customs, as well as overseas Corrections jurisdictions including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Q. Are gang members subject to increased searches to stop them organising crime while in prison?
A. Whether they are gang affiliated or not, if Corrections staff have concerns that any prisoner or visitor is involved in criminal activity they will be monitored with heightened vigilance.
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ISSN 1178-8453