Nigel Latta 5 - Behind Bars (Episode Five)

In this episode of the six-part series, Nigel Latta gets up close and personal with the New Zealand prison system. The psychologist and presenter talks to numerous ex-inmates about what life looks like behind bars, and the many detrimental effects that being locked up has on life after release. The episode looks at racism, failure to properly recognise mental health issues, methods of tailored rehabilitation, whether prison is the worst place to put criminals, and the effects of substance abuse and addiction. Latta also spends a night in Wellington's Rimutaka Prison, after undergoing a strip search. 

Locking people up is big business in New Zealand. There are currently 8,500 inmates in New Zealand, housed in 17 prisons — $4 billion dollars worth of facilities. It costs $100,000 a year to keep someone in jail, so we’re spending a billion dollars a year keeping people locked up.

– Presenter Nigel Latta, at the start of this programme

Key Cast & Crew

Mark McNeill

Executive Producer

Arwen O'Connor

Line Producer

Beth Tredray

Series Sound Design, Series Sound Mix

Nigel Latta

Presenter

Belinda McLeod

Co-Director, Research

Stephen J Campbell

Co-Director