Who runs the prisons?

A prison guard in the NZ Herald says:

“There are threats every day from Burton. He threatens to burn the building down, or put out a contract [on prison officers]. Most of the guys are scared of what he did and what he is. He’s lost a leg but he’s still quite threatening. Every time we take him somewhere there’s always seven officers [with] him.”

“They get free medication, watch TV, play pool and table tennis, have barbecues – it’s like a holiday camp, not a prison. When they get released, they do something to get back inside.”

To be fair this is not just a recent issue. I recall prisoners playing golf in the 1990s. In fact the Backbencher still has displayed one of my then anonymous faxes promoting “Graham’s Holiday Park”.