Page 2676 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 June 2011
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Staff morale has improved significantly
Sick leave has reduced
Sick leave management strategies are in place
Regular staff meetings are conducted
Additional staff training programs have been implemented
Drug trafficking into the centre reduced …
Detainee management strategies have been enhanced.
The findings of the report include that lack of continuity and experience in the leadership team during the first 12 months created a potential risk for safety, security and efficient operation of the centre. Finding 16 is that ACT Corrective Services arranged with another jurisdiction to second a highly experienced officer to secure the role of superintendent. As I quoted earlier, feedback from some external stakeholders was that that superintendent was having a positive impact on AMC operations. Finding 17 is that the AMC is now at a critical point in its history. It says that the AMC has negotiated its first year of operation without disastrous result, however, to date it has not delivered to the standard required by its ambitious vision and objectives. Strong leadership with a clear plan of action from this point is essential for safety, security and effective detainee rehabilitation outcomes.
The recommendation is that ACT Corrective Services satisfy itself that the combined experience and expertise of the AMC leadership team now in place provides the capacity for effective leadership and develops the desired culture within the AMC to deliver services effectively and efficiently.
I note in the government’s response that Mr Buchanan was appointed to the task force to review the implementation. It is relevant, then, to make the point that Mr Buchanan is no longer serving on that task force because he has been removed by the government, and Mr Buchanan said that his removal in part was because of his objection to a needle and syringe program and that he was denied due process. It is worth noting that an attempt to inquire into that process was denied by this Assembly through the crossbench Greens and by the government.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (4.06): I will speak very briefly to the government’s response to the report. I mentioned the crisis support unit in relation to the Burnet report, and I should have actually mentioned it here, so I apologise for that. Obviously we will go through this in detail, but one of the key issues for me in the report is in relation to separation issues in the crisis support unit and having people who might be more long-term prisoners having to be in that unit. It is good to see that that recommendation has been rated highly, as have been a number of the other recommendations in relation to the crisis support unit.
One of the issues that has been raised in terms of people who might need to be in the crisis support unit for a longer time is about having access to outside programs and
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