Claire Eastham-Farrelly/RNZ
A civil claim has been taken against the use of a potent pepper spray at Auckland women’s prison. (File photo)
The High Court has been asked to stop prison authorities using “Cell Buster” pepper spray on inmates, pending a full hearing of the case against its use. Marketed as “Making grown men cry since 1975”, the Cell Buster spray had been used about 27 times in the past five years in New Zealand prisons, the lawyer for a prisoner, Karma Cyntilla Cripps, told a judge in Wellington on Friday. Lawyer Douglas Ewen said the preponderance of its use at Auckland Region Women’s Correction Facility was “eyebrow raising” in itself.
Prisoner sues to stop pepper spray bombs that make grown men cry
10 Dec, 2020 04:54 AM
5 minutes to read
A woman going to the High Court to try to stop Corrections gassing inmates. Photo / 123RF
A woman going to the High Court to try to stop Corrections gassing inmates. Photo / 123RF
RNZ
By Guyon Espiner, RNZ
An asthmatic woman who was bombed with pepper spray in her Auckland prison cell is going to the High Court to stop Corrections gassing inmates in future.
Karma Cripps, her partner Mihi Bassett and two other inmates were gassed inside their cells at Auckland Women s Prison, as revealed by RNZ in November.
The American company which makes it, Sabre, pushes its product using pictures of men who have been sprayed in the face wincing in pain.
Sabre ranks its different pepper spray products using a thermometer graphic, which bursts into flame for their strongest spray, the Sabre Red Capsaicinoids - the one Corrections uses in New Zealand prisons.
The company s promotional video says Cell Buster produces a fog of pepper spray, which contaminates the cell and inflames the inmate s respiratory tract . It says that the coughing and irritation produced by cell buster generally results in a much more cooperative inmate .
Court papers obtained by RNZ show Cripps case makes specific mention of the fact that Auckland Women s Prison used the Cell Buster pepper spray against her despite knowing she was asthmatic.