Private prisons still failing

When the government introduced private prisons, they promised us that it would lead to better performance. But six months on, Serco's Mt Eden Corrections Facility is still failing to meet basic performance targets:

Private prison operator Serco has failed to meet half of its performance targets since taking over Auckland's Mt Eden Prison.

A report card on Serco's performance released today reveals three inmates were wrongly released, one escaped and there were three wrongful detentions.

The percentage of sentenced prisoners with an appropriate plan in place within required timeframes was only 28 per cent - two thirds lower than the 90 per cent target.

Of 37 targets Serco was to meet in the nine months to April half weren't met.

Looking at the full data [PDF], they're also getting worse on prisoner assaults and on adhering to rehabilitation planning. And remember, these are intentionally soft targets, set below Corrections' performance so National could declare privatisation a success.

So, will Serco be fined? Or will we continue to pay a premium price for this non-performance?