Starting to hear the other side

Stuff reports:

A former inmate at Waikeria Prison has rubbished claims of poor conditions at the jail and claimed the presence of deported Australian gang members was a more likely cause for the unrest.

The prison was the scene of a five-night standoff, with prisoners lighting multiple fires which destroyed the “top jail” facility at the prison.

Family members of the protesters said their complaints about conditions at the prison were dismissed before the protest took place.

I don’t know why the media report allegations from family members without substantinating them.

They claim their complaints about conditions were dismissed. Before reporting this allegation I would ask the family members for specifics – a copy of the complaint, who was it sent to and when.

I’m pretty confident there won’t be any proof of any complaints having been made.

Not that this would justify the riot, even if true.

However, the former inmate Stuff spoke to, who wished to remain anonymous, said he believed the more likely cause of the trouble were Mongols and Comanchero gang members, five of whom were deportees from Australia.

No surprise.

“When they were deported they should have been put straight into maximum security.”

Better late than never. All those who took part should be separated out and farmed around other NZ prisons.