RECAP Newsletter

Issue 45: September 2008                                             

Women in Prison

This week’s guest contributor is well known social commentator, Celia Lashlie.   Celia Lashlie –

Celia is a single parent of two children now aged 30 and 33 – in her view, this remains the most challenging of the assignments life has delivered to-date and my most significant achievement.  She re-entered the workforce at 30 years of age after completing a degree in Maori and Anthropology - this period included two years on the domestic purposes bvenefit, an ‘interesting’ experience.

Celia was the first woman in NZ to work in a custodial role in a male prison, starting at Rimutaka Prison in Upper Hutt in December 1985.  She was appointed Penal Division EEO Co-ordinator in March 1990, a role that included the task of getting female officers safely into Paremoremo Maximum Security Prison after male officers refused to work with women.

Celia then spent three and a half years as Manager of Christchurch Women’s Prison. During this time, two productions were undertaken at the prison in association with the Chch Arts Festival – a significant experience for all involved in terms of it’s potential to change the lives of the women involved and the community attitude towards them.  In May 2000: Employed on a short-term contract for Specialist Education Services in Nelson as the Area Manager for Nelson/Marlborough/Westland. She enjoyed the chance to view the world through the eyes of at-risk children rather than those of their parents. Her  SES contract terminated abruptly in 2001 when I spoke at a public meeting held in Wellington of a composite child, 5 years old, blond haired and blue-eyed, destined to come to prison after murdering someone.  She spent the remainder of 2001 undertaking some projects within the Nelson area looking at interventions that might allow the 5-year-old to deviate from the path to prison stretching out in front of him or her.  In March 2002 Celia wrote a book about the connection between the five-year-old child and those who end up in prison. The book, ‘The Journey to Prison. Who Goes and Why’, was launched in August 02.

 In Part One of a two part article, Celia takes a close look at the women she met in the prison system, and in the community, makes the point that each of these women have the potential to bring about significant change in their families, and within the community, given the right support.  

You can read Celia’s contribution by clicking here

© 2008 PFNZ,  All rights reserved