Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-05-08 Daily Xml

Contents

PRISONS

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:33): As a further supplementary question, how is the minister able to estimate the cost if the government has not estimated where it is going to put the cells?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:34): Of course, we work across the whole justice system, and we have worked out the bed capacity space we would need in that time. We have not determined where exactly at this stage. Clearly, where the bed spaces can be allocated is an operational decision for the department. The department will be flexible with it. We will be looking at Mobilong, Port Augusta and Port Lincoln. We would have no plans for the Adelaide Remand Centre. We would be very frugal about Yatala because that is shutting down. However, we need to ensure that we can increase capacity at the Adelaide Women's Prison because we have only female prisoners at the Adelaide Women's prison and there are some at Port Augusta.

We are also looking at recommissioning the old education centre at Port Augusta, in particular, for older prisoners and those who have special needs. Last year, I opened an accommodation cottage at Cadell. Five of the prisoners involved were able to undertake vocational education training in building their own accommodation—a kit home—and some time in the future we will also be looking at that.

Yesterday I also placed on record that we will be building 10 bed spaces at Port Augusta for traditional Aboriginal men. So, there will be a mix of things there. We have been able to calculate those bed numbers depending on what is happening across the justice system and what we are doing in legislation, because we are tough on crime.