The Government yesterday confirmed it will spend millions of dollars installing more beds in prisons to house the country's spiralling inmate population.
The announcement means some prisoners at the Otago prison at Milburn may soon be sharing a cell as the Government fast-tracks "double-bunking".
Exactly how much taxpayer money will go into the double bunking re-fit will not be revealed until Clutha-Southland MP and Finance Minister Bill English delivers his first budget on May 28.
It appears likely the Department of Corrections will exercise a condition of its resource consent for Milburn that allows it to lift the prison's capacity from a maximum of 402 to 600 after July 1.
The department is refusing to be drawn on that.
At lockdown yesterday morning, it said there were 297 prisoners inside the prison.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced this month's budget would contain money to go towards double-bunking at prisons around the country, including at the OCF.
But the department also says this will not happen until it completes talks with unions about lifting prisoner capacity at the OCF and other prisons.
The Corrections Association, which represents corrections officers, said the Government and others needed to move away from the "double-bunking" description and call it what it is - "overcrowding".
Chief executive Bevan Hanlon told the Otago Daily Times better resources and protection were needed for existing staff.
But investment was also required to recruit more staff needed to handle the estimated 950 extra prisoners expected to be locked up in coming months.
"The beds are coming. We just have to try and work out the best way of handling that," he said.
But Ms Collins' announcement makes it clear the Government wants to boost prison capacity as it grapples with an ever-rising number of prisoners.
The budget will contain money to address what the department's prisons capacity development programme director, Catherine Hall, calls the "immediate need" for more beds at the OCF.
"Increased double-bunking . . . is required because the current prison population forecasts show the number of prisoners will grow rapidly and prison capacity is expected to be exhausted from next year."
Introducing double-bunking would only happen if there was a successful outcome to negotiations with the unions, she said.
In her pre-budget announcement, Ms Collins said she was allocating $24 million for initial design and planning work for extra prison beds, mainly around the North Island.
Money would also be given to address the needs for more beds through double-bunking at a host of other prisons, including the OCF.
Labour corrections spokesman Clayton Cosgrove said double-bunking was "selectively" practised by the previous Government, but only after it had secured approval from Corrections officers.
There were "huge risks" with double-bunking otherwise, he said.
