Tony Ryall
National Corrections Spokesman

17 November 2003

National welcomes private prison study

The National Party is welcoming the Business Roundtable report on private prisons as more evidence of why the Government's Corrections Bill must be stopped.

The Corrections Bill - currently before a select committee - grants new rights to prisoners and cancels the private prison contract in Auckland.

"Labour's ideology has got the better of them," says National's Corrections spokesman Tony Ryall.

"Why would you cancel a deal that costs $43,000 per prisoner per year for a government-run system that costs $72,000 per prisoner per year?

"International studies generally show private prisons are up to 15% cheaper to run than government prisons.

"As the Business Roundtable report demonstrates, private prisons are internationally proven . In Australia and the United States the majority of prisons are privately run, and Tony Blair wants all future prisons in Britain to be privately managed ," says Mr Ryall.

"National has led opposition to this Bill, and is continuing to do so. We will be taking every opportunity to block and delay these changes to the Bill.

"This Bill can only be passed in its current form with the support of the Greens. With increasing pressure from Maori groups wanting to expand private management then it's possible the Greens may shift," said Mr Ryall.

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