Christchurch prisoners remain at other jails

7:04 am on 19 September 2010

Damage at Christchurch prisons is still being assessed, the Department of Corrections says, and it does not know when inmates transferred after the city's earthquake will return.

About 650 prisoners have been moved from Christchurch Men's Prison, also known as Paparua, and Christchurch Women's Prison to other jails around the country.

While the Department of Corrections cannot confirm when prisoners will be brought back, a worker at one of the prisons told Radio New Zealand News that at Christchurch Men's only one unit in the main prison is safe, and many of the inmates will not return for several weeks.

The staff member says the inmates from Christchurch Women's will begin to return next week.