Paremoremo Prison

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Paremoremo Prison, correct name Auckland Prison, is a maximum security prison on the North Shore of Auckland New Zealand. As the only facility of its type in New Zealand^[1] it is 'home' to some of worst criminals of the country. It houses around 645 prisoners,^[1] though overcrowding in all New Zealand jails is a constant problem at this time (2005).^[2]

1 The prison
- 1.1 Facilities
- 1.2 Security
2 Detainees
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] The prison

[edit] Facilities

In addition to the main, 645 prisoners facility, Auckland prison also includes the medium-security Auckland West division, built in 1981 to relieve crowding at other institutions, in particular Mount Eden Prison; a minimum security work and pre-release unit called Te Mahinga; and a 60-bed special treatment unit for sex offenders, called Te Piriti.

Within the prison, the section (formerly) referred to as 'D Block' has a particularly harsh reputation.^{[citation needed]} Conditions in it are very restrictive, and there are around three prison officers per inmate of the block.^[3]

[edit] Security

Security has been upgraded strongly within the last decades. Rev David Connor, prison chaplain, noted that when he moved to Paremoremo in 1984, a chain-link fence around the medium-security block was all that was required. Now (in 2006), however:

"...that fence has razor wire on top, and there is a steel fence beyond it and then there is a trip-wire barrier that sets off an alarm, and outside that there is another razor-wire fence."

Prisoners are also strip-searched after visits, and are urine tested, while drug dogs are used to search cells and mailrooms. All phone calls made by prisoners are taped as well. However, drugs are still a regular feature within the prison system.^[4] Guards however do not normally carry guns.^[3]