Prison officers seek longer sentences for inmate assaults

Prison officers are calling for inmates who attack them on the job to serve a longer sentence. New legislation promoted by New Zealand First, seeks to impose a mandatory minimum prison sentence of six months on anyone who deliberately injures a first responder such as a police officer or ambulance staff or a prison officer. When that offence occurs behind bars prison guards want that time to be served over and above the prisoners original sentence rather than concurrently as can happen now. Ann Marie May reports.