The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) urged New Zealand on Thursday to take stronger action to reduce its rising prison population and better support its independent monitoring mechanism following a trip to the country.

Aisha Shujune Muhammad, head of the SPT delegation, cautioned that prison population forecasts in New Zealand over the next decade are “concerning,” noting that current planning centers on “building new prison facilities,” as opposed to developing “alternatives to detention.” She also emphasized the disproportionate impact of imprisonment on Māori and Pasifika communities, who are already over-represented in the system.

The SPT shared that it will provide the New Zealand government with a confidential report highlighting its findings, hoping the government will make the report public.

While visiting in mid to late September, the SPT delegation made unannounced inspections of prisons, police stations, youth justice centers, and more. They interviewed detainees and staff, and worked alongside New Zealand’s National Preventive Mechanism, an independent body mandated under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.

Rights organizations have previously raised concerns over human rights abuses by New Zealand police and corrections staff. The report, published by Aotearoa Justice Watch, details several alleged complaints, including abuse of power, demeaning treatment, racism, and harassment.

This mission forms part of the SPT’s broader global monitoring work. Earlier this year, the UN condemned conditions in Auckland prisons after an investigation revealed that detainees had been denied minimum statutory rights. In Kyrgyzstan, the UN criticized the government’s decision to close its torture prevention body, warning that the move undermined international obligations. Similarly, in Serbia, the SPT urged authorities to take more decisive steps to comply with the anti-torture protocol.