House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-19 Daily Xml

Contents

Public Works Committee: Port Lincoln, Adelaide Women's, Mount Gambier Prison Expansions

Adjourned debate on motion of Ms Digance:

That the 506th report of the committee, entitled Proposal to Expand Three Prisons: Port Lincoln Prison, Adelaide Women's Prison and Mount Gambier Prison, be noted.

(Continued from 15 October 2014.)

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:56): I do wish to make a brief comment on this particular report. Prisons are an interest of mine, and I have visited nearly all of them. However, the concern at the moment—although it was not the officers' concern and they were unable to make comment on it—is that South Australia is going to have to have a new prison or a major prison extension fairly soon. That became painfully obvious during the questioning of Mr Brown and others at the hearing. Put simply, we are running out of space.

In my view, the continual adding of containers to various prisons to house inmates is a short-term solution to a long-term problem, and the fact is that although the containers seem to be suitable for human habitation and are now in place at various prisons, including the Adelaide Women's Prison and Mount Gambier Prison, surely to heavens they cannot be the ideal solution. The prison population is increasing, as we all know.

There are no votes in prisons for either side of the house; I am fully aware of that. But, as SAPOL continually gathers up a collection of villains and people involved in other nefarious activities that get a custodial sentence, the reality is that—I seek leave to continue my remarks at another time.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.