GENEVA - New Zealand must take action to reduce its rising prison population and better take advantage of its independent monitoring mechanism by adequately funding it and implementing its recommendations, experts from the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) said after their second visit to the country.
"Prison population forecasts in New Zealand over the next ten years paint a concerning picture. At present, forward planning appears to focus primarily on building new prison facilities rather than expanding the use of alternatives to detention," said Aisha Shujune Muhammad, head of the SPT delegation.
"We are particularly concerned about the potential impact on Māori and Pasifika communities, who are already disproportionately represented in the prison population," she added.
During the mission to New Zealand from 13 to 25 September, the SPT delegation carried out unannounced visits to a range of facilities, including prisons, police stations, youth justice and care and protection residences, as well as care homes for the elderly and drug rehabilitation centres.
The SPT delegation conducted confidential interviews with people deprived of liberty and officials working in various facilities. The delegation also met with Government officials, the country's independent monitoring body, collectively known as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), and civil society representatives. In addition, the SPT delegation carried out joint visits to detention facilities with the NPM to support their work.
"New Zealand has one of the oldest established NPMs among States Parties, and we had the opportunity to engage in extensive discussion about the challenges in carrying out their mandate. In particular, New Zealand should consider strengthening the coordination role of the Human Rights Commission, providing ringfenced budget lines for NPM activities, and ensuring that the NPM has a broad mandate to visit all places of deprivation of liberty," Muhammad said.
"Recent legislative changes restricting bail for certain offences are likely to increase the already substantial remand population in New Zealand. This means accused individuals may spend even longer in custody awaiting trial," said Muhammad. "We are especially concerned about children held on remand, who do not receive any reduction of their sentences to account for time already spent in custody," she added.
The Subcommittee will submit a confidential report to the Government of New Zealand with its observations and recommendations on preventing torture and ill-treatment of people deprived of liberty. As with all other States parties, it encourages New Zealand to make this report public following the visit.
The SPT delegation was composed of the following members of the Subcommittee: Aisha Shujune Muhammad, Head of Delegation (Maldives), Djordje Alempijevic (Serbia), Elīna Šteinerte (Latvia), and Victor Zaharia (Moldova), as well as two Human Rights Officers from the SPT Secretariat.