Mount Eden Prisons facts for kids
The Mount Eden Prisons are two separate facilities located in the Auckland, New Zealand suburb of Mount Eden. These facilities are known as the Mount Eden Prison and the Mount Eden Corrections Facility.
A Look Back
The very first Mount Eden prison was a military stockade, which is like a fenced-in area, built in 1856. It became Auckland's main prison in 1865. This happened after the old city jail was taken down.
The main stone wall and foundations of the current prison were finished in 1872. The building itself started being built in 1882 and was fully completed in 1917. It was designed to hold 220 prisoners. The prison's design looks a lot like Dartmoor Prison in England. Its layout has wings spreading out from a central point, like the spokes of a wheel. This design allowed for easy control from the middle. It was based on ideas from Jeremy Bentham about how to manage prisons.
Who Runs the Prison?
In July 2000, a new building at the prison was put under the control of a private company. This made it New Zealand's first privately run prison. It was then called the Auckland Central Remand Prison. However, the Labour Party did not agree with private companies running prisons. So, in July 2005, the prison was put back under the control of the Department of Corrections.
In June 2007, plans were announced to build a new six-story prison building. A four-story living block would also be added by 2011. These new buildings would add 450 more beds for prisoners. The Auckland Central Remand Facility then joined with the new Mt Eden Correctional Facility. The idea was to turn the old prison into office space. However, this has not happened, and the old prison remains empty.
The new development included a secure gatehouse and a visitor center. A multi-level car park was also added. Tunnels connect the different parts of the prison. The barbed wire around the complex was removed. It was replaced with tall, secure walls. Some people were concerned about how tall the new prison building would be. It is about 30 metres (98 feet) high. This makes it visible from the nearby motorway. It also stands much taller than other buildings in the area.
In May 2010, the National-led government decided to try private management again. The contract was given to Serco, a company from Britain. Serco runs prisons in many countries.
On July 16, 2015, videos from inside the prison appeared online. These videos showed problems happening within the prison. Serco was criticized for not looking into these issues sooner. On July 24, Serco's contract to run the Mount Eden prison was ended. The New Zealand Department of Corrections took over operations again. Serco was ordered to pay $8 million to the New Zealand government. This was because of the problems that happened while they were in charge.
