Hipango HareteHARETE HIPANGO (National—Whanganui): Kia ora. I'm delighted to have been asked to speak to this bill. Initially I hadn't been listed as one of the speakers but I'm delighted because I can speak from the context of experience as a criminal lawyer advocating for people who have either been remanded in custody and/or sentenced. I also acknowledge my colleague across the House Mr Greg O'Connor because we do come from that context of having worked with people who are affected by this. We're not just speaking from reading a piece of paper; we can speak from the heart we speak factually and we speak based on life and professional experience.Just following on from the other speakers I will share that I find it professionally and personally extremely disappointing that the lens and the importance on rehabilitation has been pulled away and I would invite the Government to reconsider that when it does come before the select committee. I speak from the experience of dealing with many of all ages who either having been remanded pending sentence or having been sentenced have been scared about not just their vulnerability on entry but also their departure. Mr O'Connor has talked about the vulnerability of release from prison. There is vulnerability when going into prison and we talk about the mental health concerns and the addiction concerns. A provision within this bill focuses on the segregation of prisoners at risk of self-harm.An automatic consequence and flow-on from that would be looking at the importance of a rehabilitation programme. There's been many times when I've been counsel advocating for my clients in the court cells up in the court room then back down to the cells again when my clients have been pleading and I have also had to make special requests of the attending police officers taking these inmates out to the prison to ensure that they do have the necessary oversight in terms of the risk that they are presenting themselves with. The same can be said about the importance of rehabilitation programmes as well.I have limited time to speak so I'll just move on in terms again not only of my professional life experience but that of my husband who has served as a prison officer for a number of years. He has talked about the vulnerabilities not only of the prisoners themselves but of the prison wardens or the prison officers. So it's reassuring to see aspects such as the use of mechanical restraints on prisoners being treated in hospital. He's spoken from personal experience many times about accompanying those who have required medical treatment and although they have been restrained they have had to be released for that medical attention and treatment. As a result that's exposed the medical staff and practitioners as well as the prison officers in attendance to personal threats and personal harm. So that is reassuring. I speak again from the experience of having a number of clients over the years who have self-tattooed. So seeing that there's the oversight and the disciplinary actions taken in relation to that may have a positive consequence.Now I speak as a family lawyer in terms of letters that have been written in prison from inmates to many of my clients who have been the subject of protection orders. To see that there are disciplinary procedures now in so far as those inmates who have made attempts to write too and that there are consequences and sanctions for that I'd invite the Government or the select committee members also to consider phone calls. I've had many clients over the years who have been protected by protection orders and they've been subjected to phone calls that haven't been monitored and haven't been picked up. So that's another precaution to consider.A concern that I also share is the use of police cells to carry the overflow of inmates where there's insufficient room in the corrections institutions. I've been a youth justice practitioner as well. We have a number of our youth who are detained in police cells where there are insufficient placements for them into youth justice residences. So that would need to be a coordinated collaborative approach between the Minister of Corrections and the Police and also the Ministry of Social Development as to how effectively that can be managed. So despite the good intention that's there it really is about the implementation and how well that would be managed.Just in conclusion a final note and comment is just looking at prisoners' management plans. The bill has required management plans; however I'm concerned as to why there has been a reduction in oversight in the importance of rehabilitation. I leave it at that and although I've made those comments I do invite the select committee and the Government to heed those concerns that have been expressed and undoubtedly you'll hear further from submitters at that stage of the select committee. But from those of us who stand and speak in the House based on our experience please take heed. I commend this bill to select committee for further consideration.