Prisoner Numbers

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:33): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services questions in relation to prisons.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The 2015-16 annual report of the Department for Correctional Services shows that the average daily population of six of the prisons in the system was at or above the approved capacity. In relation to the Adelaide Women's Prison, it was as high as 16 per cent over capacity. My questions to the minister are:

1. What assurances can the minister provide that the situation at Mobilong won't occur at other prisons, leading to a state lockdown of the prison system?

2. How soon are beds to come online to resolve the lack of capacity, given that the system has been over capacity since November 2011?

3. When will approved capacity be above projected prison population?

4. What action has the minister taken, as minister, to resolve the problems at the Mobilong Prison?

5. Has the PSA raised any concerns with the minister in relation to overcrowding at any other South Australian prison?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:34): My advice is that this dispute that was initiated yesterday does not have anything to do with overcrowding within the prison system, but rather goes to an operational security concern. I am really glad that the PSA and the department for corrections have worked busily over the course of a really finite period to end the industrial action that commenced yesterday.

I outlined to the chamber yesterday that the Industrial Relations Commission has quickly dealt with the industrial action at hand. Within a 24-hour period the industrial action is concluded. I think that speaks to the professionalism of the department, the industrial relations system generally, and also to the PSA, to getting down and putting an end to the issues and differences and having a conciliatory approach towards the process going forward.

The Hon. Mr Wade has asked a number of questions with regard to the prison population, capacity and the like. My advice is that the current prison population is below capacity. I have articulated on more than one occasion, and this has been on the public record, that there is an approved prison population and also surge beds.

It is common and frequent for the surge bed capacity to be used, but as the state government continues to roll out its investment in new beds across the prison system, the need and reliance on that surge bedding is forecast to diminish. Just spending more amounts of money on the prison system does not constitute the entirety of our government's plan. We also have a plan of reducing the rate of reoffending.

As I stated earlier, the opposition has a whole bunch of motherhood statements in its policy. In fact, you want to be the government but you wouldn't believe that you want to be the government if you actually read what you guys bowl up. In your document here I cannot see a single statistic—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I can't see a single statistic, there is not a budgeted or costed policy anywhere in here. I am just looking at a bunch of words, Mr President. We have a plan. I will give you some statistics. I will give you a leg up and I will give you a few statistics.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Point of order, sir.

The PRESIDENT: Point of order.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: The minister needs to place his remarks through you, sir, and not continue to refer to 'you' all the time.

The PRESIDENT: I think more importantly the opposition ought to not interject and allow the minister to get on with his answer. Minister.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Thank you, Mr President. Through you, Mr President, allow me to give the opposition a leg up and give them a few basic statistics. The first thing is that approximately 46 per cent of the South Australian prison population returns to custody within two years. In excess of 70 per cent of the South Australian prison population has been in gaol at least once before. I think we would collectively agree that those statistics are not good enough and can be improved upon. That is the heart of our policy. That is what we are investing in.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire interjecting:

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: The Hon. Mr Brokenshire interjects and asks about rehab programs. In the last state budget, this state government committed an extra $9.6 million to new criminogenic programs that are aimed at specifically achieving that objective of reducing the rate of reoffending. Through this year's budget process we are considering the comprehensive recommendations of the panel that this government convened, chaired by Warren Mundine, to look at other things we can do in the short, medium and long term to reduce the rate of reoffending.

None of this is simple policy area. None of it is going to change overnight, but we are committed to doing it. When the opposition is committed to nothing more than political point scoring, that's their business. The Hon. Mr Ridgway has made one true statement throughout the course of this debate thus far and that is that we are the government. We are the government and we accept the responsibility of getting on with policymaking and that's exactly what we are doing.