The trauma and injury caused inside PERU and under PERD management don’t stop when a person is released.

International research and expert reviews show that the effects of prolonged isolation, constant surveillance, and deprivation follow people long after their prison sentence ends. Former prisoners from similar regimes describe:

Chronic mental health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression
Sleep disorders and memory problems
Chronic pain, high blood pressure, and other stress-related illnesses
Difficulty reintegrating into society, with some becoming “institutionalised” and unable to cope with daily life
Increased risk of self-harm or suicide after release

These are not isolated cases — they are known and predictable outcomes of the conditions being used in New Zealand prisons right now.

The Chief Ombudsman and the Prison Inspectorate have already found these regimes to be “cruel, inhuman, and degrading.” Allowing people to walk out of prison carrying these invisible injuries — without proper rehabilitation, support, or accountability — is a failure of the justice system and a public health crisis in the making.

This petition is about more than conditions inside the walls — it’s about the lifelong damage these policies are causing and the urgent need for reform.

What you can do:

Share this update to help raise awareness.
Keep talking about the hidden costs of these regimes.
Push for evidence-based, humane corrections policies that focus on rehabilitation, not destruction.

Every person deserves the chance to heal and rebuild — but under PERD and PERU, we are setting people up for a lifetime of pain instead.