Photo: ODT filesIt's being called Labour's first great test as Government - signing off on a $1 billion mega prison that will allow our overflowing prison population to expand even further. The open letter from academics across New Zealand said the billion-dollar prison would be "at odds with (the Government's) explicit commitment to reduce prison numbers." CANZ vice president Paul Dennehy said the focus was on managing the burgeoning prison numbers, rather than workplace wrangling. "We see this as the first test of the Government's commitment to their election promises of reducing the prison population. She said the prison population had risen unreasonably and unnecessarily through criminal justice debates Labour had contributed to.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 21, 2018 19:30 UTC