Page 253 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2010
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MR SPEAKER: Ms Bresnan, you will actually need to move a motion to that end. We will take that at the end of Mr Corbell’s speech.
MR CORBELL: That is what the independent arbitrator has determined—simple as that. Any other accusation that the government was somehow responsible for the delays does not stand up to that overwhelming and very clear evidence from a person whose job it is to arbitrate commercial disputes between parties. If Ms Bresnan wants to move a motion asking for the release of that documentation, the government will accept the outcome of the Assembly’s decision in that regard.
The bottom line is that the independent expert’s finding in favour of the territory is clearly at odds with the view of the committee. Furthermore, the official opening of the AMC was organised under assurances from the builder that the completion of the facility was imminent. The Assembly should note that testing and certification of most components of the facility had been completed at this stage, and the government considers the decision to proceed with the opening to be a reasonable one.
I would like to assure the Assembly that the AMC does not have defects remaining in its security system. I am unable to talk in great detail at this time due to an ongoing dispute resolution process in this matter. Suffice to say that there are not remaining security system defects.
The introduction of contraband, in particular drug paraphernalia, into a prison environment is the bane of prison authorities the world over. Drugs do get into prisons and it is not a new or surprising problem. Contraband had been entering facilities wherever prisoners exist a long time before the AMC was even considered. The AMC has a number of systems in place to deter and detect the introduction of contraband. To name a few, K9, a dog squad, ion scanning, metal detectors, RFID and the SOTER x-ray machine are all measures operating at the AMC.
I am satisfied that the AMC has appropriate security mechanisms in place to minimise, to the greatest extent possible, the introduction of contraband. However, we will continue to look at ways to improve this. Indeed, it would require the introduction of highly draconian measures to keep drug paraphernalia out completely. We would, for example, have to ban all contact visits with prisoners. We would have to intrusively search all visitors, staff and authorised personnel visiting the facility each and every time they did. And I can only imagine how the community and the Human Rights Commission would react to such a policy approach.
While not critical to the secure operation of the facility, the RFID system at the AMC is a measure to enhance the operation and management of the AMC. It is still in its commissioning phase. The system is the first of its kind in Australia; the first use of this technology in Australia. The recent media scrutiny has perhaps overexaggerated the issue, but it has ensured that the systems, policies and procedures surrounding the RFID have been reviewed to tighten security arrangements.
The facilities available for prisoners at the AMC to access the internet and to use email are the most generous in the country. This has been a deliberate approach to normalise the environment in which prisoners live and to assist in their rehabilitation. ACT Corrective Services reviewed the access to the internet by prisoners to minimise the risk of abuse of the system. Access to the internet has been suspended. But, as I
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