Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-15 Daily Xml

Contents

PORT AUGUSTA PRISON

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about the Port Augusta Prison riot inquiry.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: In a statement to the council yesterday the minister said that, in addition to SAPOL's investigation of the riot, staff from the Department for Correctional Services Investigative and Intelligence Unit will conduct their own investigation into the riot at Port Augusta last week in order to determine the events surrounding the riot. My questions are:

1. What are the terms of reference for the inquiry to be conducted by the Investigative and Intelligence Unit?

2. Will the inquiry look at factors which may have contributed to the riot, such as the prison regime within the Port Augusta prison, and systemic issues, such as overcrowding?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:17): The Investigative and Intelligence Unit of the Department for Correctional Services is independent, certainly from my saying what they can and cannot look at. As I have already said on record, SAPOL is undertaking its own investigation, as is the department. Last night I was advised that SAPOL will make available a senior officer to assist the department in its investigations. I have undertaken to bring back the recommendations and outcome of that investigation to this council. I will do that—as I undertook to do yesterday. Clearly, as one would expect, if there is an investigation, what caused the major incident at Port Augusta last week and how we can make improvements are the key things I would be looking at in any investigation. Again, I will bring back the results to this council.