A former Australian prison inmate says privatising New Zealand prisons will increase reoffending.
The Law and Order Select Committee is considering a bill which would allow prisons to be managed privately.
Brett Collins, the coordinator for a group called Justice Action in Australia, spent 10 years in prison. He says private companies will focus on making a profit, rather than providing an environment aimed at reducing reoffending.
He says the Select Committee should be consult prisoners.
He will ask the Department of Corrections to distribute posters to prisons around the country, so prisoners know how to make a written submission.
