Inside the Wire

Gripping true-life stories from a career spent inside New Zealand prisons.

Rhonda Hāpi-Smith has walked among some of New Zealand's most dangerous criminals. As a female prison officer and member of the Riot Squad, she met and worked with thieves, addicts, gangsters, murderers and sex offenders for nearly twenty years in men's prisons around the country.

Operating within an unspoken set of codes, Rhonda built a reputation for herself as fair but firm. She dealt with everything from mass riots and inter-gang hits to attempted escapes, suicides and segregated 'maxi' detainees.

But alongside the twisted and the downright terrifying, Rhonda shares stories of unlikely friendships, ingenious prison innovations, and moments of hilarity with some of the best people she's ever known. When you walk inside the wire, you leave the ordinary world behind. Put your game face on and here we go!