Suspected suicide at Spring Hill Prison
Friday, 24 July 2020
Corrections has confirmed that an inmate died at Spring Hill Corrections Facility in Waikato this week.
But they are refusing to release any information about the prisoner or the circumstances in which he died.
Stuff understands the death is a suspected suicide. A prison source said the inmate had covered over the window in his cell with newspaper prior to being discovered.
It’s understood the man died in the prison’s high risk unit. The prison was locked down for four hours while a rescue helicopter was brought in to transport the prisoner out.
Acting prison director Megan Tuhoro said the prisoner died on Monday.
Police attended but the death was not being treated as suspicious. Neither Tuhoro nor police would release the name and age of the prisoner.
Police said in a statement that his next of kin had not yet been notified, even though he died on Monday.
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Tuhoro said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends. Prisoners and staff affected by the man’s death are being provided with support.”
Do you know more about this death? Email tony.wall@stuff.co.nz
She said all deaths in custody were referred to the coroner for investigation and determination of the cause. There would also be an investigation by the independent Corrections Inspectorate.
“As the death remains subject to investigation, and the coroner is yet to determine the cause, we are limited in the amount of detail that we are able to provide.”
The death follows that of an inmate in his 20s at Christchurch men’s prison in June.
An inquiry into suicides in prisons between 2010 and 2016 – including 11 deaths in the 2015/16 year –led to a number of initiatives to address prisoners’ mental health issues.