Rooms with a view

The paint has dried on the last of the cells to get a brush-up in the project to transform the custody suite at Counties Manukau Hub.

Artists Ben Timu and Francis Pesamino have brought a restful aquarium theme to the last of the nine cells decorated in the ‘Paint the Cells’ project.

Other contributors have included professional and amateur artists, school students and teachers and one police officer, who all worked on the project in their own time.

Their designs - selected by a panel including Police Minister Judith Collins and local kaumātua – include a variety of uplifting, aspirational and calming themes.

Inspector Tracy Phillips says the project has given a lift to staff as well as inmates, with officers enjoying discussing their favourite designs, while detainees in non-decorated cells have been asking to be moved into the painted ones.

“It was a really positive experience for the artists as well,” she says. “One worked through the night so she could get an idea of what it was like to spend time in the cells.”

She is considering whether other parts of the custody suite would benefit from decoration. “If we did the corridors everybody would be able to see it – the place would look brighter right from the start.”

Tracy thanked custody suite staff for their patience and cooperation during the project.

The painting was part of a wider ‘humanity project’ which has included members of staff bringing in books to create a ‘library’ for inmates.

A story about the project and photos of some of the other designs can be found in the May issue of Ten One - click here.