YATALA LABOUR PRISON

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about G Division.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The government is putting non-recalcitrant prisoners on canvas in G Division contrary to commitments given to the Ombudsman in 2003. In a letter dated 8 December 2003, the Ombudsman advised a complainant that the government had abandoned the practice of placing all prisoners on canvas regardless of the reasons they were in G Division at the Yatala Labour Prison. The Ombudsman quoted a departmental memorandum outlining the training of policy to staff. That memorandum states:

...overflow protectees admitted to G Division are to be issued normal clothes and bedding and progress to regime 3 unless during the holding cells admission process their behaviour is problematic or their mental condition is in question.

Given that the department assured the Ombudsman that the regime had been changed, when did the government decide to return to putting non-recalcitrant prisoners on canvas, and was the Ombudsman advised?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:33): It appears that, between yesterday and today, the honourable member has dropped the accusation that we are placing people recovering from operations in G Division. Someone is obviously telling him a few tales. Generally, protectee prisoners who are admitted to G Division are provided with standard issue clothing. That is certainly my advice. The prisoners who are admitted to G Division for medical issues relating to self harm are placed in observation cells on canvas for their own protection.

On occasions, protectee prisoners who are transferred from a regional prison may be placed in G Division prior to and after receiving medical treatment if they do not need to be accommodated in the infirmary, because, obviously, this is the safest and most responsible way of managing protectee prisoners. I do want to place on record that certainly any prisoner who is transferred to G Division or a mainstream unit would be there only after being medically cleared to do so by a doctor. Again, generally, protective prisoners who are admitted to G Division are provided with standard-issue clothing.