Correctional Officer Issues at Risdon Prison

Media release – Elise Archer, Minister for Corrections, 19 July 2021

Unions playing politics with prison system

The safety of staff, prisoners and the community remains a top priority for the Tasmanian Liberal Government.

In regard to today’s stop-work action, it is very disappointing that the unions are playing politics with this. Last Friday I extended an invitation to meet with them today, before any mention of stop-work action had been made, and a meeting has now been confirmed for Wednesday, 21 July.

It is also simply wrong for anyone to claim we haven’t significantly invested in our prison system. We have employed more than 200 extra Correctional Officers in our prison system since 2016, including 79 in 2020 alone and at least two new recruitments planned this year, with the first of those already underway. We are planning for more recruitment courses next year as well as intensive recruitment of Correctional Officers nationally.

We are recruiting Correctional Officers as fast as we can, but I do need to stress we will not throw untrained staff onto the frontline and put their safety, and the safety of prisoners and the community, at risk.

We also recognise the pressures that exist within any correctional facility and the challenges they present to staff and prisoners alike. While lockdowns are a necessary and unavoidable part of our prison system, prison management continues to explore a variety of other strategies to minimise their likelihood.

I expect to discuss these strategies with the unions this Wednesday.

However, suggestions that prisoners have been locked down for multiple days in a row are untrue, and it is not common for all prisoners to be locked down all day.

We will continue to provide additional resources to support hard-working staff at our prison facilities to do this difficult job, and we remain absolutely committed to addressing the challenges within the prison service.

Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Corrections Minister, 20 July 2021

Archer has lost control and has no solution to continuing Risdon debacle

The Gutwein Government’s unacceptable too-little-too-late approach to the disastrous situation at Tasmania’s major prison is doing nothing to alleviate unworkable conditions for both staff and inmates.

Shadow Corrections Minister Ella Haddad said Attorney-General Elise Archer had failed miserably to act and provide the prison with the resources it needs after seven years of inaction and despite the recent release of a damning report which revealed a pressure cooker environment where fundamental human rights are routinely denied.

“Ms Archer – like the vast majority of her Cabinet colleagues – is happy to stand outside the prison and make announcements but refuses to act on the issues right in front of her,” Ms Haddad said.

“Ms Archer has done this again today as the prison routinely enters lockdown with staff at breaking point and with no option but to walk off the job to get their voices heard.

“Ms Archer either needs to provide Tasmanians with actual detail of what she is going to do to resolve the situation or concede that she has lost control of the prison and hand responsibility to someone who is prepared to act.

“What is she doing to secure more resources, more training and more staff to provide safety to staff and inmates?

“What is she doing to provide opportunities for rehabilitation which she is clearly not delivering with inmates routinely locked down for 24 hours at a time and days on end without access to education or training programs that might be improve their chances of not becoming part of the prison’s revolving door.

“What is she doing to increase safety and prevent the danger of corrections officers being assaulted at work?

“What is she doing to listen to staff on the frontline instead of ignoring them and arrogantly dismissing their concerns?

“The recent Custodial Inspector’s report revealing fundamental denial of human rights should have rung alarm bells for Ms Archer.

“But the Attorney-General simply does not understand you cannot have a functioning justice system without a functioning prison system.

“Risdon Prison just cannot remain in this extremely precarious position but it appears nothing will change on Ms Archer’s watch.”