Judith Collins

Wellington, June 24 NZPA - The cost of converting shipping containers into prison cells would vary depending on which prison they were added onto and the infrastructure needed to incorporate them into prisons, Corrections Minister Judith Collins told a parliamentary select committee today.

Estimates of up to $380,000 per bed had been given for the shipping container plan, but Ms Collins today told the law and order select committee the containers could be set up for between $53,000 and $63,000 each.

Ms Collins said that figure was far cheaper than building prisons to the standard of the new Spring Hill Correction Facility in Meremere, south of Auckland, which would work out to $643,000 per bed.

"We simply cannot keep building prisons," Ms Collins said.

The new cells would be teamed with double-bunking of prisoners to accommodate the growing prison population, but Corrections would ensure double-bunked prisoners wouldn't create a risk to each other or to staff.

Double-bunking would have benefits for some prisoners, including preventing them from self-harming, she said.

Ms Collins also displayed photos of the outdated Mt Eden prison and said facilities needed to be improved, but they should not "meet any definition of luxury".

The Government wanted a "world-class corrections system", Ms Collins said.

She had previously likened older prisons to holiday homes, Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove said.

In relation to the Government's bill to privatise some prisons, currently before the select committee, Labour MP Rick Barker asked why taxpayers should fund construction and maintenance of prisons while private providers made money off running them.

Corrections Department chief executive Barry Matthews said there were different options available, including private providers paying for maintenance of the prisons.

The state would continue to own the prisons as assets, he said.

When asked by Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove whether she had confidence in Mr Matthews, Ms Collins said she did, as he had been doing a "very good job" improving the department, including greater training for prison staff.

Mr Matthews told the committee jobs at the department may go in the future in the way of prisoner skills training, giving the example of textile skills training, as textiles were largely manufactured in China now.

Other jobs in other relevant skills areas would be created, he said.

Green Party MP Metiria Turei criticised the Government's plan to double the number of prisoners receiving drug and alcohol treatment from 500 to 1000, as 80 percent of the country's 8300 prisoners were in need of the treatment.

Mr Matthews said such treatment was less effective when prisoners weren't motivated to receive it, but was certain he could find 1000 motivated prisoners.