5 Jun 2010

Former inmate advising private prison contender

7:58 am on 5 June 2010

A prison management company that wants to run a jail in New Zealand has a former inmate among its advisers.

Kalyx is the last of four British or United States companies to confirm it's been shortlisted to take over the running of Mt Eden-Auckland Central Remand Prison from August next year.

The others being considered are Serco, G4S and the Geo Group, which ran the prison between 2000 and 2005.

Kalyx has set up a New Zealand advisory board chaired by Whaimutu Dewes, who is a director of Contact Energy and Ngati Porou Seafoods.

Greg Newbold, a former inmate turned Canterbury University criminologist, is also on the board, as is former All Black Va'aiga Tuigamala and a former prison inspector, Ruth Reese.