Editorial

Compiling a magazine full of informative articles and eyecatching photos is a pretty good job, I have to admit, and my nearly two years as editor of this magazine have seen me stepping onto a very wide range of building sites and projects. I've been to places the average member of public will never go, seen things they'll never see. Our cover story in this edition is no exception to that rule.

Like many in Auckland that struggle through Spaghetti Junction in rush-hour traffic, I've sat in my car, looking at the new Mt Eden Prison, and wondering about the conditions inside. With its decorative rusting steel facade, spot-coloured feature walls and (supposedly) fabulous views of the harbour (an urban myth), the new multi-storey building appears to be more akin to an upmarket hotel than a high-security detention centre, and is a stark contrast to the old prison that stands beside it as testimony to New Zealand's early colonial days.

Never thinking I'd ever see the insides of those walls, I approached the Department of Corrections about the possibility of writing an article on the prison redevelopment, asking if they could supply some photos. And then out of the blue came a phone call from Serco, the private company that has been contracted to manage the new prison, saying to present myself at reception at midday and they would show me around inside.

To say I was apprehensive was an understatement. I was told to leave all personal belongings and any transmitting devices, including my cell phone, behind (I did). No prisoners were to be interviewed or identified (I didn't see any). I was liable to be searched for possession of drugs and other prohibited items (I wasn't). I was not to take any close-up photos of locks, nor identify the location of security cameras (I didn't).

What you can see and read about in our cover story has been carefully constructed and vetted to ensure not even a tiny iota of security has been breached. I can report that the prison is indeed state of the art, and whilst the accommodation areas may appear communal, and individual cells are equipped with their own shower and toilet, it is not the sort of place where I would choose to spend a single day.

I feel privileged to have been inside, and I truly thank the Serco team who went out of their way to look after me, but I will never go inside again.

Until next time ...

Lynne Richardson Editor