Labour inaction sees another prisoner on the run

The escape of a prisoner serving an 11-year term for rape and attempted murder highlights the urgent need to reform laws governing security classifications of prisoners, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.

"The Labour government acknowledged as far back as 2007 that security classifications for prisoners should be reviewed, but failed to do anything about it," Ms Collins says.

"The result is that once again we have a prisoner with a terrifying criminal record on the loose in the community. The warning signs were there, but Labour failed to act.

"Their shameful inaction highlights yet again that Labour's years in government were golden years for criminals in New Zealand."

Arai Hema, 30, disappeared from a work party at Auckland Prison yesterday. He was classified as low to medium risk.

Hema was serving an 11-year sentence for the rape of a 16-year-old Napier girl and the attempted murder of 76-year-old Bruce Butler, who attempted to intervene.

The Crown described Hema as a "smouldering keg of powder waiting to blow".

In November 2007, the then Labour government said the system used to categorise prisoners' security risks may need to be reviewed.

The Government had faced questions in Parliament over the escape of a minimum security prisoner from Wellington Prison.

The prisoner was John Ericson who was serving a life sentence for murdering his wife in 1999 by striking her repeatedly in the back of the head with a tomahawk when she was asleep.

The Opposition National Party asked the Minister of Corrections, Phil Goff, why Ericson was classified as a minimum security risk.

On behalf of Mr Goff, Annette King, said the classification system may well need to be looked at.