Whānau of 17 men protesting at Waikeria Prison say they have come down from the rooftop of the "top jail".
They told RNZ they believe the men are now in discussions with the Māori Party co-leader, Rawiri Waititi, who travelled to meet them this evening to assist with negotiations.
Photo: Supplied
The men have been holed up in a high-security building since Tuesday, when they lit several fires to protest against poor conditions. The building has since been extensively damaged and the Department of Corrections said it was unlikely to be used again.
Waititi earlier said he would listen and support the prisoner's call for justice and work towards a solution.
He said he had been contacted directly by a number of the men, who had made it clear they were unwilling to meet with anyone other than himself to discuss their concerns.
"The Māori Party will always advocate for our most vulnerable people. It is our obligation to do so and we will always rise to be the voice for the voiceless. This is one of those times," Waititi said in a statement.
"These men belong to whānau. They are are fathers, brothers, sons and uncles.
"They deserve the right to be treated humanely, with fresh water, food and clean clothing and they deserve to have someone advocating for them."
Department of Corrections said an earlier effort by kaumātua - arranged through Ngāti Maniapoto Iwi - to negotiate an end to the protest had failed.
Chairperson of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, Keith Ikin, said earlier today the iwi was in close contact with the Department of Corrections, and was seeking a peaceful resolution as soon as possible.
"We are absolutely hopeful that we can find a resolution to this that ensures everyone's safety," he said.
Ngāti Maniapoto had arranged for kaumātua to visit the prison today in a bid to end the protests there.
However, a Corrections spokesperson said in a statement that it had failed to end the riots.
"Overnight, the men agreed with negotiators to surrender if they were able to speak with kaumatua.
"An operation involving support from our Advanced Control and Restraint staff was planned to enable this to happen safely, however did not resolve the situation."
Corrections was continuing to engage with the prisoners to encourage them to cease their action, the spokesperson said.
"We are concerned that they are putting themselves at significant risk by remaining where they are. Damage to the building is significant."
About 200 prisoners who had been evacuated from the prison had been transferred to other prison sites and had been provided support to contact family members, the spokesperson said.
Ikin said he was unaware of the conditions inside the prison but that he would welcome an independent review into what happened at Waikeria.
Supporters arrive
Meanwhile, Iwi members have turned up outside Waikeria prison in support of the 17 inmates rioting within the facility.
They said they had spoken to members within the facility and they knew they were there.
There has been a steady stream of prison staff coming from the prison.
RNZ has seen multiple Fire and Emergency and St John Ambulance vehicles enter the facility this afternoon.
Prisoners request presence of Māori leader
Sources at Waikeria have told RNZ the 17 men are protesting about dilapidated conditions, cramped cells, and a lack of basic supplies, including clean drinking water. They have been unwilling to cooperate with officials and leave the prison over fears for their safety.
The men had requested the presence of a Māori leader, such as Waititi, before they would agree to leave.
Waititi said earlier today he would happily speak with the prisoners.
"When your people are 50 percent of the prison population and the system continuously is feasting on the disfunction it's created amongst my people, of course I want to talk to them.
"This is indicative of a failing justice system and this has been going on for many years - if you are 50 percent of the prison population it shows the systemic racism we have and the rioting is there because there is ill treatment," he said.
Waititi said the Minister of Corrections needed to see if Hokai Rangi was working.
Hokai Rangi, a strategy introduced by the Department of Corrections in 2019, aims to drastically cut the number of Māori in prison from 52 percent down to 16 - to match the overall Māori population. The five-year goal is to reduce the number by 10 percent.
Waikeria prison Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
"What's going on here? We need to sit down have a chat and see what the problems are," Waititi said.
He said reports water coming from the taps in the prison was brown and sheets were not washed frequently were appalling.
"It's basic human rights to have clean running water, we have bottling companies bottling tribal waters and shipping it off overseas while these men are drinking brown water - someone needs to take responsibility for that."
The Department of Corrections said earlier that they had highly-trained staff with specialist skills who were continuing to negotiate with the men involved. A review into the incident has been commissioned and the reasons for the men's actions would be considered.
Prison guard 'been working 15-plus hour days'
Family members of prison officers working inside Wairakei Prison say they are concerned for the well-being of their loved ones.
A group of 17 prisoners have had control of a section of the South Waikato prison for three days.
Speaking outside the gate of the prison, a daughter of a guard who did not want to be named, said they just want the riot to be resolved so their loved ones can come home safely.
She said her father had been working more than 15-hour days since the riot broke out.
Corrections said no staff or prisoners had been injured, while Fire and Emergency NZ, Police and St John remain at the prison and are working closely with Corrections staff.
"We are grateful to them for their assistance, and also to the many Corrections staff who have responded bravely and professionally despite very challenging circumstances."
