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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-06-13 Daily Xml
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Personal Explanation

PRISON CONDITIONS

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (16:58): I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I was asked in question time today by the member for Waite when I first became aware of the circumstances surrounding the treatment of two mentally ill prisoners and what action did I take and when. I advised the house that I first became aware of a female prisoner, now the subject of interest, being separated in October 2011. I was advised that this occurred as a result of self-harming.

In order to provide a full response to the member for Waite's question, I would like to advise that in late January I noted another brief which outlined plans that were being considered to manage her return to the health centre and possible measures to try to ensure that she was not able to again inflict harm to herself.

The Department for Correctional Services engaged Spectrum to assist the department treating team in regards to her management plan and ongoing treatment. Spectrum specialise in personality disorders, complex needs, self harm and suicidality.

Following the first consultation with Spectrum in October 2011 and a DCS and South Australian Prison Health Service case conference on 20 December 2011, the importance of consistency with the management plan was reinforced and a number of strategies were agreed upon. These strategies included:

identification of a DCS staff member to commence long-term therapeutic intervention with the prisoner; this commenced in November 2011;

purchasing two different types of soft restraints to trial with the prisoner; I was advised that the trials had commenced at that stage;

purchasing a bed restraint and a chair restraint from America. The bed restraint was ordered in December and had just arrived and the chair restraint was currently being ordered. The bed restraint was to be trialled with the prisoner at the Yatala health centre when she returned;

the introduction of specialised dialectical behaviour therapy programs for female prisoners in 2012;

regular case conferences and action plans with all relevant stakeholders;

full neuropsychological assessment; and

regular psychiatric review, weekly psychological review through the high-risk assessment team, and daily nursing contact and mental state examinations.

In addition, I was advised that regular case conferences continued to be conducted in order to provide intensive multidisciplinary case management to the prisoner, and Dr Rau, the Director of Spectrum, was to meet with the DCS treating team in February. Spectrum staff were also engaged to provide training to DCS staff on borderline personality disorders.

Let me be clear: at the time of this brief, she was not in the health centre. As I advised the house, information was provided to my office in March, which advised a restraint regime was in place to prevent her further harming herself.

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