Decorated police cell
grass, a separate shower and toilet with a modesty screen, and an in-cell power
point. Cell call bells were checked every week, and the exercise yard had a
stationary bike and a basketball hoop. The exercise yard in the Management unit
in Rimutaka prison similarly had some fixed exercise equipment, and toilets had
a modesty screen. The At Risk unit at Christchurch Women’s had a small garden
which women could enjoy during their out of cell time. The unit’s walls were
beautifully decorated with murals painted by a former resident of the unit. Doors
to the individual yard attached to cells on the top tier of the Management Unit
at Mount Eden Correctional Facility remained open throughout the day, enabling
detainees to spend as much time there as they wished. The exercise yard in the
Secure Care unit at Te Puna Wai o Tuhinapo Youth residence was large, had a
basketball hoop and overlooked some trees and greenery. The custody suite at
Manakau police included nine cells which were painted by local artists using
themes they chose, following a competition judged by the Justice Minister.
The resulting wall painted art really brightened up the unit and sent a positive
message to both detainees and staff. Also at Manukau, detainees could borrow a
book from a small selection of books held by custody staff.
Individuals are able to engage in varied daily regime activities
Whilst most of the facilities visited only offered very limited regimes for
segregated / secluded people, there were some positive efforts to engage people
in some form of activity. At the Mason Clinic, the default position was for
secluded people to come out of their room and eat their meals by a table. This
allowed the patient to spend some time outside their small rooms and engage,
and presented staff a good opportunity to interact with them and assess how
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