[New Zealand] Extra prison beds cost nearly $1m each / Scoop, 27 July 2006

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00485.htm
Simon Power
"The 500 extra beds added to the Government’s prisons building programmes cost taxpayers nearly $1 million each, says National’s Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power. “Corrections Minister Damien O’Connor confirmed in the House a statement he made in select committee that the $490 million blow-out in the prisons construction budget was due to the addition of about 500 beds. “That works out at about $1 million a bed. “That is outrageous. You could buy four reasonable three-bedroom houses for the cost of one prisoner’s bed in one of our new prisons." [Top topic]