An inspection into New Zealand's oldest prison has come back with some distressing insights into how the prisoners are treated and the poor facilities on offer.
Waikeria Prison in Waikato is home to around 700 prisoners ranging from minimum to high security, with the high security facility the top of the inspectors' list of concerns.
In the past few years three of the prison's units were shut down due to their poor condition, but the rapidly rising national prison population has seen two re-opened.
The inspectors found gangs had a significant influence in the high security wing, prisoners telling them violence was a regular part of their life inside.
They also found that at-risk prisoners spent 22 hours a day locked in their cells, at times up to 26 hours.
The inspection also found that the prison was short of experienced staff and the Minister for Corrections Kelvin Davis agrees something needs to be done.
"I have seen the state of Waikeria's high-security wing firsthand and agree with correction's inspectorate that it is not fit for purpose.
"Corrections have addressed many of the concerns raised by the inspectorate and are working on the others," Mr Davis said.
There's a proposal to knock down the old prison and build a mega-facility capable of housing up to 3000 inmates.
The government is yet to sign off on the proposal.
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