EDITORIAL: Attacks on prison staff have been rising over the past 18 months but some corrections officers complain that they are effectively prevented from defending themselves. We have to wait until he does hit us.”A Corrections officer at the maximum security unit at Auckland Prison, which houses New Zealand’s most violent offenders, wants prison staff to be exempt from prosecution for taking action to prevent violence. Creating legally immune captors will undoubtedly lead to abuse of prisoners and a more violent work environment for Corrections officers. READ MORE:* Auckland Prison staff assaulted 109 times in a year, three seriously injured* Auckland prison attack: Corrections officer has surgery for badly broken arm* Police and Corrections failing to punish prisoners who attack prison staff, says unionBut the same applies to violence by prisoners. We ask a lot of Corrections officers and the least we should offer in return is a robust system to deal with the dangers of their jobs.

Source: Stuff March 15, 2021 15:56 UTC