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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-17 Daily Xml
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PORT AUGUSTA PRISON

The Hon. S.G. WADE (16:20): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services questions about the Port Augusta Prison riot.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In the aftermath of the Port Augusta Prison riot, the Public Service Association and Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation Services both suggested that overcrowding was a factor in the riot. My questions are:

1. Will the minister advise whether the terms of reference of the internal departmental investigation included a consideration of any factor which may have undermined the stability of the prison at the time of the riot?

2. Did the departmental investigation find that overcrowding was a factor affecting the prison at the time of the riot?

3. Given that the ministerial statement mentioned the recruitment of 22 staff in the context of the cancelled exercise session, did the internal departmental investigation find that the prison was understaffed at the time of the riot?

4. What is the total estimated cost of the repairs, building works and enhancements at the prison following the riot?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (16:21): I thank the honourable member for his further questions in relation to the ministerial statement I made today. I do not have a definitive amount for the repairs because, as I have mentioned, one of the units is not fully completed yet. I put on record today that, in addition, the department has already spent $500,000 in upgrading the security. In relation to the actual costs, whilst I do not have a definitive figure, it is our view that it will be well over $1 million (or at least $1 million) at this time. We will have to await the outcome in a few months to know how much that amount is.

On the day of the incident, there were around 50 spare beds throughout the system. I have already placed on record that a decision was made that correctional services officers undertake to escort prisoners to the infirmary, and a session on the oval had to be cancelled. I have also placed on record that that was one of the reasons why the incident happened.

In relation to staffing, this government has embarked on a very aggressive recruitment campaign never before seen in this state. I inform the chamber that, since the incident at Port Augusta, from memory, 12 extra staff have joined Port Augusta Prison. Another 10 will be in the training school that commences in March, and my understanding is that a further 10 will join the training school in June, which will more than bring them up to the complement of staffing at Port Augusta Prison.

We have already placed on record that it is often a challenge to get people to work in our regions and sometimes it is difficult to understand why. The other thing I would like to place on record is that we have not lowered our standard in terms of the staff who are chosen to work in our correctional services institutions, nor should we. It means that sometimes, as in this case, we have had to wait a little longer to get the full complement of staff but, since the incident occurred, 12 staff have commenced and, in the next four months at least, we will expect another 20.

For the information of the honourable member opposite, we have a strategy in corrections in terms of ensuring that we have enough prison beds for those in our prisons at this time. I have also mentioned that numbers will fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. We had 50 spare beds in the system on that day and, over the past few months, we have had about 150, even up to 170. I know that today we have 150 spare beds in the system; so, those numbers will fluctuate. I have also placed on record on a number of occasions, including when speaking about the deferment of the new prison, that $65 million will be expended by this government before the new prisons come online at Mobilong. To suggest that we do not have a strategy, really, is just pure nonsense by the honourable member.

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