Decorated exercise yard
Cells/rooms offer a safe and healthy physical environment and sufficient
provisions
A good segregation cell or seclusion room should be clean; in a good state
of repair; have a window with a view, which can be opened for ventilation;
good fixtures and provisions, and; allow individuals a degree of control of their
immediate environment. Exercise yards and outdoor areas should be of a good
size, offer some protection from the elements, contain exercise equipment, a
sitting area and some greenery.46
None of the units we saw offered all these elements, but many offered one
aspect or another. This was a good start, but more needed to be done. Cells in
the Management Unit in Auckland South prison had good fixtures and provisions
including a couple of power points, a kettle, a television, and ample storage
space. Prisoners were provided with a writing pad, pen and envelope on arrival,
and could access art supplies with a manager’s approval. Secluded patients at Te
Whare o Matairangi mental health unit could operate their own window blinds,
and the Tawhirimatea Rehabilitation unit was spotlessly clean. One of the longterm residents in Haumatiketike unit had a bedroom, an activities room, and a
vegetable patch. Cells in the Management unit at Auckland Women’s prison were
of good size and well furnished, with a window looking out to some trees and
46 For recommended design features and minimum size requirements see: International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC): Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Habitat in Prisons, ICRC, Geneva https://www.icrc.org/
eng/assets/files/publications/icrc-002-4083.pdf; UNOPS (2015) Technical Guidance for Prison Planning:
Technical and operational considerations based on the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of
Prisoners; UNOPS HQ Copenhagen, Denmark https://www.unops.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Publications/
TechnicalGuidance_PrisonPlanning_2015.pdf
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