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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-10-25 Daily Xml
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OFFENDER DEVELOPMENT BUILDING

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:57): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about the official opening of the Offender Development Building and the 20-year anniversary celebration of Mobilong Prison.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I understand that the Minister for Correctional Services recently opened the Offender Development Building at Mobilong Prison. Will she provide the chamber with some details about this new building?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:57): I thank the honourable member—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Again, it is such a shame that members opposite are not interested in acknowledging the contribution of correctional services officers in this state. They just do not care. Last Friday, I had pleasure in attending a dual celebration: the official opening of the Offender Development Building and the 20-year anniversary of Mobilong Prison. The new $1.7 million Offender Development Building is now well placed to deliver important rehabilitation programs for prisoners at Mobilong both now and into the future.

The new building will accommodate the Mobilong intervention team, which comprises two full-time and one part-time psychologists, two social workers and one Aboriginal liaison officer. The Offender Development Building features an open space design for staff and two group rooms for program delivery. In addition, there are two interview rooms for one-on-one programs and a video-conference room for court video-conferencing.

The Intervention and Rehabilitation Programs Branch will deliver approximately 1,800 hours of programs to prisoners each year, which equates to 11,600 prisoner hours and 631 prisoners participating in programs. These programs include: alcohol and other drugs, anger management (for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal offenders), the Break Even gambling program, parenting, violence prevention, victim awareness, and financial planning. These programs will provide training and education for prisoners that will ensure that their re-entry into the community has a higher likelihood of success.

I also had the pleasure of taking part in commemorating Mobilong's 20-year anniversary. The construction of Mobilong was commissioned and opened in 1987 by the then correctional services minister, Hon. Frank Blevins. Mobilong is still regarded as a modern design, as well as being a truly safe and secure correctional facility.

It was an appropriate occasion to acknowledge the commitment of Mobilong's long-serving staff. The opportunity was also used as a reunion of past and present staff, with photographs taken to mark the day. Today, Mobilong can accommodate 290 male medium security prisoners. Of course, the government looks forward to a significant milestone, with the land adjacent to Mobilong to be the location for the new men's and women's prison due in 2011, costing over $400 million.

The new prison infrastructure investment is a vital step towards providing a safe community for all South Australians. The long service awards were presented to the following Mobilong staff: Bernard Gelston for 25 years' service; Robert Creaser, John Gaston, Dennis Payne, Roger Benton, James Cannard, Patrick Welby, Geoff Dobbins, Steven Russell, Robert Schmidt, Robert Coupland, Mark Taylor, Robert Hancock, John Whimpress and Neil Wilkes for 20 years' service; Bruce Pfieffer, Carol Zulian, Peter Binney, Tony Abbondandolo and Karen Walding for 15 years' service; and Ricki Ayres, Diana Banks, Graham Pool and Kevin Vandenbrink for 10 years' service.

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