Rethink urged on youth units

A move to temporarily shut youth units to make room for Covid-19-infected prisoners has been heavily criticised by the Assistant Ma¯ ori Commissioner for Children, who is urging a rethink on the proposal. Glenis Philip Barbara’s comments follow revelations that Corrections is considering using two youth units to create space to care for prisoners ill with Covid-19, meaning vulnerable rangatahi would be housed with the general adult inmate population. ‘‘It is unsafe in every conceivable way for very young prisoners to be housed with adults,’’ Philip Barbara said.