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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-11-24 Daily Xml
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PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: PORT AUGUSTA PRISON

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (11:43): I move:

That the 385th report of the committee, on Port Augusta Prison New Accommodation Block, be noted.

At 30 June 2010, there were 1,969 prisoners in the South Australian prison system, which had an approved capacity of 2,078 beds (which includes bunks in cells designed for single occupancy). That is, there is spare capacity of 109 beds, of which 38 are female beds located in the Adelaide Women's Prison.

In the government's 2008-09 Mid-Year Budget Review, $30 million was provided for the expansion of prison capacity through the construction of cell blocks for 160 prisoners. As the first stage of this expansion strategy, the Department for Correctional Services proposes to expand the Port Augusta Prison through the construction of an 80-bed cell block, designed to accommodate high and medium security prisoners.

The new accommodation is expected to cost $17.739 million and planned to be completed by October 2012. The Port Augusta Prison is situated 300 kilometres by road north of Adelaide and can accommodate up to 392 low, medium and high-security prisoners. The prison is located approximately eight kilometres south-east of Port Augusta on Highway One at Stirling North in a general farming community. The current Port Augusta Prison complex consists of a number of medium-high security cell blocks, plus a low-security unit and a number of associated facilities providing services to the prisoners (such as admissions, a medical clinic, teaching and program areas, kitchen, laundry and visit areas), plus associated administrative areas.

It is intended that the medium-high security prisoners will be accommodated in a new 80-bed cell block. The cell block has been designed with two wings, each of which will accommodate 40 prisoners. Each wing will have two levels of cell accommodation arranged in a U shape around a central living space. The upper level will be located on a mezzanine level. The additional 80 beds at Port Augusta Prison are a key step to improving system flexibility and providing adequate capacity (of an appropriate security classification) and designed to meet current and future needs. The department examined three options:

option 1—a single-storey solution for the 80 beds. This design solution did not meet the specific operational requirements of the prison and therefore was ruled out as a preferred solution;

option 2—a two-storey solution with all single cells. The estimated cost of this solution far exceeded the available budget and therefore was rejected by the committee; and

option 3—a two-storey solution with a combination of single and bunked cells. This solution was considered the best fit of operational issues whilst minimally exceeding $15 million, being half the budget allocation provided for two cell blocks for 160 additional prisoners.

The philosophy of the original prison will be maintained and the new accommodation will improve system flexibility and provide adequate capacity of an appropriate security classification and design to meet current and future needs.

Based upon the evidence received and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends that the proposed public work proceed.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (11:47): I rise to support this motion. I am not a member of the committee but, certainly, the Port Augusta Prison is a very important institution in the electorate of Stuart. It is pleasing to see that we have made some progress since the Treasurer's famous 'rack'em, pack'em, stack'em' comment a few years ago. I am sure that, while not directly responsible, that attitude contributed to the riot that we had in the Port Augusta Prison 18 to 24 months ago—I cannot remember exactly when it was, but it was probably a bit less than two years ago—where an enormous amount of the accommodation and other facilities at the Port Augusta Prison were destroyed because of overcrowding.

Certainly, I support the motion and congratulate the government on improving the facilities at the Port Augusta Prison. Prisons in the electorate of Stuart are very important (both the Port Augusta Prison and the Cadell prison), and they are both very ably managed by David Oates at Cadell and John Harrison at Port Augusta.

The increase in investment—this $17.73 million, I think it is—for 80 additional beds at Port Augusta is welcome, because we would all like to invest money where it is well spent; and I think that, under Mr John Harrison's management of the Port Augusta Prison, there is absolutely no doubt that that is the case. When he arrived, one of the first things he instigated with regard to new management was that he personally inspect every prisoner's cell in the prison once a week. I think that shows a level of dedication, participation involvement and also leadership of his staff that is commendable. I have no hesitation in the fact that the government is spending $17.73 million of taxpayers' money on 80 new beds in Port Augusta when they are going to be managed and overseen so well.

I was fortunate enough to be at the Port Augusta Prison last week, and I thank the corrections minister for allowing me to visit the prison on a regular basis—of my own free will. I was fortunate enough to see the Sierra Program in operation. I really recommend that all members of parliament should go out of their way to learn a little about this program. I saw 18 young male prisoners looking fit, healthy, bright-eyed, alert, participative and compliant, in a voluntary program within the prison. It works on their self-esteem, their personal fitness, their teamwork and their leadership. This program was brought to Port Augusta Prison by Mr John Harrison. He picked up on some techniques in other prisons. This is a first of its kind in Australia, and already he has had people from overseas looking to gain some of his knowledge and experience. Certainly, we would hope that people all over the world can share in this program's success in South Australia.

He has been able to develop personal and character traits within these young prisoners, young offenders, half of whom, he told me, were hardened gang members before they came into his care. Seeing them at first hand, hungry and competing for success within the environment in a very healthy way—not in an unproductive, unhealthy way, as we know can happen in prison—I think is fantastic.

The investment in Port Augusta Prison is very important. It is one of the most important institutions in the electorate of Stuart, as I mentioned. It is also important because, as we know, the very nature of the prison industry, if you like, means that offenders and prisoners from all over South Australia can be moved to Port Augusta. It is not like a country school or a country hospital that must be in a certain location to provide a service for a certain group of people who live in that district; there is flexibility to move prisoners around. So, I am sure the extra 80 beds at Port Augusta will benefit not just the Port Augusta community but the prison community and the correctional services system throughout the state.

I commend the government for this investment, because it is necessary, because it is overdue, and because it is going to be very well managed by the current management of the Port Augusta Prison.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:52): I support the motion. I was interested to hear what the member for Stuart had to say about the prison, because I took a parliamentary group into Port Augusta Prison 12 or 18 months ago as part of my previous role in corrections. I support what the member for Stuart said about John Harrison. He has a deep knowledge of the prison and a deep understanding, but the reality is that prisons are dirty, stinking, filthy places as far as I am concerned. There is no question about that. The thing that was common to all the men's prisons was the smell of stale cigarettes, particularly in the living areas, and the smell of stale urine and a few other things, which cannot be disguised, given that the toilets do not have lids, for a start. It is just foul.

I think this expenditure on Port Augusta Prison is an improvement. Prisons and prisoners are not going to go away. It is probably a bit more important, because at least this time the local council had some idea it was coming, unlike the poor old rural city of Murray Bridge a few years ago when the Treasurer dropped a bombshell in the budget, announcing a new prison extension adjacent to Mobilong, without the council having any knowledge of it whatsoever.

What Port Augusta Prison particularly caters for is the number of Aboriginal prisoners and, of course, the Aboriginal families who come in to visit those prisoners. The number of young offenders, whether they be Aboriginal or anyone else for that matter, is frightening, absolutely frightening. Anyone in this place who has not visited a prison would do well to do so, whether it be under the current minister or a future minister on either side of the house. A visit to a South Australian prison, in my view, should be almost mandatory for members of parliament. So, we do support this expenditure and we support the motion.

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (11:54): My first interaction with Port Augusta Prison was back in the early seventies when I used to drive the school bus from Port Augusta High School out to Stirling North. We used to stop at the prison to pick up the children of the prison warders, and even then it was a fairly imposing and daunting place. Having visited the prison a number of years ago with the then member for Stuart, I was able to go right through and see some of the pretty ordinary conditions, to say the least, that some of the prisoners were being kept in. Mind you, everybody says, 'If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime.'

In particular, I went out to the back of the prison with the officers and saw what some of the Anangu from the APY lands were involved with in one of the gardens. There was a real issue with Aboriginal offenders being kept in prisons, particularly when they were from rural and remote communities, where they have serious psychological difficulties associated with being confined.

I do not know the extent of the development at the Port Augusta Prison because I have not read this report. However, I implore the government to ensure that it remains cognisant of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody report, which emphasises the need to be aware of particular circumstances and issues of Aboriginal prisoners, and I hope that is going to be an important part of the redevelopment of this prison.

Motion carried.

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