ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Minister of Corrections Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga must immediately call for a review and overhaul of the temporary prison release system, says New Zealand First.
“Convicted killer Phillip John Smith is now at large and the victim’s family is quite rightly worried and scared,” says Corrections Spokesperson Mahesh Bindra. “The public is also vulnerable.
“The temporary release of Smith has gone badly wrong. It highlights not only a complete breakdown of communications procedures in Corrections, but also whether the procedures are adequate.
“Before any release, police and victims are supposed to be told of the release before the prisoner goes out the gate. Not only were the family not told at that stage they were not informed till 12 hours after Corrections knew the prisoner was at large.
“But Corrections did not know he was at large till two days after he had left the prison with a sponsor.
“The monitoring was simply not frequent enough. Corrections has responsibility as the custodian, and in this case appears to have been relying on a sponsor to take over that duty,” says Mr Bindra.
Minister of Corrections Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga must immediately call for a review and overhaul of the temporary prison release system, says New Zealand First.
“Convicted killer Phillip John Smith is now at large and the victim’s family is quite rightly worried and scared,” says Corrections...
Minister of Corrections Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga must immediately call for a review and overhaul of the temporary prison release system, says New Zealand First.
“Convicted killer Phillip John Smith is now at large and the victim’s family is quite rightly worried and scared,” says Corrections Spokesperson Mahesh Bindra. “The public is also vulnerable.
“The temporary release of Smith has gone badly wrong. It highlights not only a complete breakdown of communications procedures in Corrections, but also whether the procedures are adequate.
“Before any release, police and victims are supposed to be told of the release before the prisoner goes out the gate. Not only were the family not told at that stage they were not informed till 12 hours after Corrections knew the prisoner was at large.
“But Corrections did not know he was at large till two days after he had left the prison with a sponsor.
“The monitoring was simply not frequent enough. Corrections has responsibility as the custodian, and in this case appears to have been relying on a sponsor to take over that duty,” says Mr Bindra.
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