New Zealand Plans New $160 Million Prison

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The Department of Corrections will spend almost $160 million to replace the Victorian-era Mount Eden Prison with a new 450-bed facility.

The first phase of the construction project will create 450 beds in two six-story towers to replace existing inmate housing, officials say. The Victorian, winged building, built in 1885, does not meet standards for security and living conditions and will be converted for administrative and security staff use.

Total capacity will remain at 720 beds, but the new facility will be able to accommodate an additional 570 inmates. The first phase of new housing units is scheduled for completion in 2011, officials say.

The master plan provides for up to five new housing blocks — three eight-story towers and two six-story towers — and includes provisions to expand capacity by approximately 600 beds in the future.

The project will also create a secure single gatehouse entrance to the prison site and a new multi-story parking garage for staff and visitors will be constructed. A new inmate services building, which will include a visitation center, will also be built.

The new housing units are designed to resemble commercial office buildings and will feature commercial style exterior materials, finishes and colors. An innovative double-skin cladding will be integrated into the new housing units to mesh with surrounding commercial buildings and enhance sound attenuation.

A prison has existed on the Mount Eden site since the 1850s, and under the plan, the northern wing of the existing Victorian-era building could be transformed into a public museum. The refurbishment and conversion of existing buildings for administrative and support functions is scheduled for completion in 2013.

In recent years, the DOC, which currently houses more than 8,000 inmates at facilities throughout New Zealand opened four new prisons to expand capacity by 1,600 beds.

However, officials estimate approximately 1,000 new beds will be needed by 2014. In addition, up to 50 percent of older, existing facilities are due for renovation or replacement by 2014, officials say.