Page 4206 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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MR CORBELL: Indeed, Mr Smyth, it has not stopped it. That is exactly the point, I think, that the Chief Minister was seeking to make—that you can pretend that you can construct a prison which will see no contraband enter into it. You can live in that fantasy land, Mr Smyth, that there will be no contraband entering a prison, or you can take every reasonable step to try and prevent contraband entering the prison, which is what we have done. Indeed, we have deployed technology that is not used in any other prison in the country in an attempt to prevent contraband from entering the prison.
Mr Speaker, if you are serious about looking at this issue, you cannot simply pretend that there are not sufficient measures in place. The measures in place go beyond those which are in place in most other prisons. Indeed, in respect of X-ray scanning, they are not in place in any other prison in Australia.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MR CORBELL: The X-ray scanner is used, Mr Smyth.
Mr Smyth: Is it certified?
MR CORBELL: Yes, it is certified and it is operational. The X-ray scanner has been operational now for many months. It has been used regularly to scan prisoners in accordance with the policy that has been agreed by the relevant regulatory authorities for X-ray equipment.
The government takes considerable steps to tackle the issue of contraband, to detect contraband that is brought into prison, but there is, unfortunately, a wide range of contraband that still enters the prison. The types of contraband that still enter the prison and which we know are present, because they have been detected, include drug-related substances, drug-related implements, unauthorised prescription medicines, unauthorised kitchen implements, unauthorised food, unauthorised recreational items, unauthorised tobacco-related items, alcohol, sharp items, including razor blades and sharpened toothbrushes, unauthorised technology items and miscellaneous items—for example, money. This highlights the difficulty in preventing contraband entering the prison and why the government continues in its efforts to prevent contraband from entering the prison to the greatest extent possible.
MR HANSON: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Attorney-General, what drug testing regimes are in place at the Alexander Maconochie Centre and do they include mandatory random drug testing of detainees?
MR CORBELL: I will provide further and more detail to the member by taking that question on notice, but the short answer is, yes, those measures are in place in the prison.
MS BRESNAN: A supplementary?
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