A terminally-ill prisoner is in a terrible psychological place and needs to be in an environment that cares for her, her family says.
Vicki Letele was jailed for three years and two months in March for property fraud.
In September, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer - and has been given fewer than six months to live.
Her appeal for compassionate release to see out her final months of life at home has been denied, with authorities saying she can get high-quality treatment in prison.
Letele was back in hospital today seeing oncologists over an intensive treatment programme that begins this Thursday.
Her family have campaigned for a compassionate release and today told Checkpoint with John Campbell she needed to be released from prison and cared for by people that loved her.
Speaking to Checkpoint, Corrections CEO Ray Smith said he felt very sorry for the Letele family and would do everything he could to treat the case compassionately.
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