CORRECTIONS WON'T INVESTIGATE P DEATH CLAIMS

The Corrections Department is refusing to investigate claims that a
man on home detention manufactured and dealt P before dying of an
overdose of the drug.

A department spokeswoman said yesterday that claims made in an
anonymous letter to NZ First corrections spokesman Ron Mark would not
be investigated unless further information, such as the man's name,
was available. It was too difficult to identify the man otherwise, she
said.

The rejection was attacked by Mr Mark, who accused the department of a
cover-up. He said there was enough detail in the letter to allow the
department to identify the man, including his convictions and alleged
gang associations.

The letter, which Mr Mark tabled in Parliament on Thursday, was from a
person who said they lived near the man when he was released from
prison this year after serving seven years for manslaughter and
assaulting a prison warden.

The man was employed locally while on home detention, had the use of a
"juiced-up" Holden car, lived for a time with a woman he met after his
release, and was visited often by people who appeared to be gang
associates, the letter said.

Probation and Offender Services general manager Katrina Casey
confirmed on Thursday night that there had been one case this year of
an offender dying of an overdose, but the department was unable to say
if it was the case referred to in the letter.

Mr Mark said: "The taxpaying public . . . has a right to know . . .
whether we do have a case of people being able to manufacture P while
on home detention and, more to the point, able to die from an overdose
while supposedly being supervised."

Officials must know, "unless they have hundreds of people dying of
drug overdoses while in their care on home detention".

Mr Mark has written to Corrections Minister Paul Swain asking him to
order an investigation.

A spokeswoman for Mr Swain said he would respond to Mr Mark next
week.