Hastings students lock themselves in small metal cage in protest at 'inadequate' prison conditions

Two Hastings students have skipped class to protest what they call an "inadequate" prison conditions and system.

St Johns College year 11 students James Barr and Ishan Parmar have set up a one metre by one metre cage and are sitting in it in the middle of Hastings' city centre.

The pair walked out of class after form time and have been sitting in the cage since 9am.

They planned to be there until 2pm today with only water and pamphlets to hand out to people.

Temperatures are expected to hit 26 degrees in Hastings today and the boys have limited shade.

James and Ishan were inspired to take the stand after the school worked with Hawke’s Bay prison through young enterprise scheme projects and by an Ombudsman report in 2017 which found major problems in the conditions of the prison.

The prison has since implemented changes to address the Ombudsman’s concerns.

The boys would like to see the Government do more to bring down incarceration numbers like using drug courts to stop criminals reoffending.

“

What they are doing is outstanding

—  St John’s College Principal Paul Melloy |

The two students won’t face disciplinary action.

St John’s College Principal Paul Melloy told 1 NEWS the school wasn’t alerted to the action, but he was proud of his pupils.

"I think the timing could have been different. They walked out of school to do it, but I think that’s why they did it - to get the maximum impact," Mr Melloy said.

"But what they are doing is outstanding, what they are doing here protesting. People are listening and they are doing it the right way."

However he will be speaking to the two boys about skipping class.

"They should be in school. But in terms of the impact they are having they are using it to their advantage, so it’s quite clever."