Hidden history of how prison labour built New Zealand | Q+A 2023

Historian Jared Davidson takes Whena Owen on a tour of Wellington to show her examples of the city that were built with the forced labour of colonial-era prisoners
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[@hermitpermit2553]

Tbh i reckon alot of guys would rather be outside doing work than being in shared cells for 23hrs a day

[@Straitjacket-Fits]

Past, present, and future walked into a bar. It was tense.

[@Anony_mouse2]

...one had a hammer, another wore a straitjacket and the future...he was bleak!

[@LauraTeAhoWhite]

Penal labour is cheap labour. Sending people to prison for petty crimes rather than committing to addressing economic and social inequalities means that the government can essentially get away with paying people 0.20c to 0.60c an hour for their labour. Not to mention that prisons are serving as gang recruitment centres which is fuelling this vicious cycle.

[@kaelimtuhewa-gq9oi]

Fuck rolleston men’s prison dirt

[@jstarkush8035]

Whats up with the jester logos on the uniforms

[@plc2866]

What do you do when prisoners don’t want to rehabilitate? Do we make them 😂

[@kiwiwifi]

unfreedom not a word

[@rachaellett7867]

If the prisoners were doing all the work, what was everyone else doing.

[@lukeduke3001]

What a wousher

[@jasonpoihegatama1347]

how about the curbs prison made

[@stevehughes1510]

We should do that again, there will be more convicts after the October elections. Put them to work or in army training camps and then to work, teach them what it's like to have to pay and work your way through life.

[@angusmaxim3450]

Considering how overworked and underpaid people are these days, treating prisoners as slaves will probably do exactly as you have said.

[@jamescooper-hope6930]

So you're endorsing state sponsored slavery? Come on, it's 2023. 60% of our prison population are functionally illiterate, maybe start there.

[@andreatodd3095]

The author of the book stated that most of the prisoners we put in jail for being drunk and unruly, ...if only it was that today......

[@markreynolds6220]

yip thy wuld gt out of prison and say i may as well do this and gt paid....thy wuldnt come back....the strategy is at the moment sell a few grams make a hundy grand then put yor feet up for 3 yers all expenses paid prety smart business model Reply

[@jonymanay]

We dont need prisoners coming out of jail with military training. They should be put to work but with skills they can use after getting out. Maybe road construction. Truck or loader driving in a mine or dock yard. Maybe sort rubbish at the tip to be recyled. fishing ships, Farm fencing. Stuff like that.

[@mcgruff3309]

Lucky the prisoners are not around to see the state of the country is in now days!

[@Anony_mouse2]

Yeah the state of men today ,not you mcgruf... but the soyboys bitching about it 🎤 🤔

[@user-mc6js8or3r]

Maori prisoners fighting for their lands and natural resources built Aucks , , , its all coming back Honour the treaty Honour the treaty

[@unknownentity742]

What is happening now isn’t honouring the treaty. No where does it say the Maori should get special treatment and more voting power than any other race.

[@shannonbrady5582]

best thing can do put them to work its just a 5 star holiday camp no wrapping them in bubble rap digusting work them hard put some good work ethics into them crimes arent scared of time needs change

[@markreynolds6220]

yip thy wuld gt out of prison and say i may as well do this and gt paid....thy wuldnt come back....the strategy is at the moment sell a few grams make a hundy grand then put yor feet up for 3 yers all expenses paid prety smart business model