NO SUCH THING AS AN 'EASY LAG', SAYS BAY EX-INMATE

A Western Bay woman who spent time in jail with convicted child
killer Rachealle Namana says prison was much tougher than her former
fellow inmate is making out.

An apparently unrepentant Namana was featured in a Sunday paper
saying jail was a breeze and that she had even smoked P and
downloaded pornography in her cell via a mobile phone.

The statements have sparked national outrage, with politicians
criticising the Corrections Department for being too lenient.

However Rose, who did not want to give her surname because her
grandchildren did not know she did prison time, said life inside was
far from easy.

The Papamoa woman was sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter and
aggravated robbery in 1997 and served six years at Arohata Women's
Prison in Tawa.

She was an inmate there when Namana arrived in 2001.

"I've met this girl, and I don't believe there was anything easy for
her about being in prison," says Rose, 46.

"As a child killer, she got a reasonably hard time in attitude from
the other women. I believe she did find the first part of her
sentence tough - not at all like she is making out now.

"She would have spent a large part of her time in the maximum
security wing doing nothing."

Rose said drugs are procurable in prison but were in no way prevalent.

"An inmate will find ways and means if they desire a drug - any drug
. It can never be 100 per cent.

"If an inmate has drugs, they are very very discreet. I believe she
probably tried P in jail, but I don't believe it was on a regular basis."

As for downloading porn, Rose said there were no mobile phones in the
prison when she was there.

"Rachealle wants to exploit herself, she's showing us she's done her
lag - it's a slap in our face.

"Some women can ride it as if it's nothing, but she's probably not
thinking about what she did in order to get sent there. She admitted
that crime."

In 2001 Namana was convicted of killing 23-month old Wairarapa
toddler Hinewaoriki "Lillybing" Karaitiana-Matiaha and was sentenced
to six years jail.

Rose said many aspects of prison life were tough. "The loss of my
family, being apart from them, that was biggest negative. Most of the
women I met when I was in prison wanted to change, wanted to break the cycle."

She said she played a minor role in a robbery and was not present at
the time but a man died.

"I'm glad I went through the experience of jail, ... learning how to
live and communicate in a non-violent way. I decided to make it a
positive and I did every course and programme available.

"[Namana] has wasted the chance and the opportunities that were there for her."

Kerry Winders, from Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society in
Tauranga, said Namana's portrayal did not ring true.

"Most of the people we deal with, and the people I have met and know
who have been inside, hate it. I don't know one person who thinks
it's easy," she said.

"It's hard on them, and their families."

She said plenty of inmates come out "rehabilitated" and most are
determined not to go back in.

"I suspect it's just for publicity [Namana's claim], I doubt that
much of it took place as she says."

Corrections Department chief executive Barry Matthews described
Namana as "a very difficult prisoner" who did not know how to treat
other people.

"But the fact that she says she thinks we're soft is a typical 'I'm
trying to be staunch' attitude," he said.

Mr Matthews said Namana was drug tested 15 times while she was in
jail and only three were positive, all for cannabis.

_ Additional reporting, NZPA