Page 195 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 December 2016
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understand they are growing, and so I am looking forward to hearing from the minister about it.
What measures have been enacted? What recommendations have been followed through to completion? What has the minister done to ensure that the AMC does not have another death in custody? What review was conducted to ensure that security measures have been increased as needed? The most recent security breach at the jail was in September this year when two inmates escaped. My understanding is that they simply propped up building materials left in the yard between the fences against the fence to climb over it. I have also heard stories about drugs being ferried into the prison through cut-open tennis balls being thrown over the fences. It makes a mockery of the concept of security that such matters have not been addressed in over eight years.
I do not come here saying these things are absolutely certain, but I need to bring to the attention of the minister the things that I have heard
Mr Rattenbury: But you’re willing to say them without any evidence.
MRS JONES: I do not have access to the prison as the minister does to find out all the details. Well, it is very funny to laugh at me, thanks, minister. I know this is your go to when you do not like what I am saying.
The question has been asked how this could happen. Minister Rattenbury was quoted in the media as saying:
This is obviously very concerning, something has gone wrong here, we need to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong and make sure that it doesn't happen again.
I would agree with Mr Rattenbury on that very point; we do need to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong and absolutely make sure it does not happen again. This is why I am calling on the government to:
(a) collate the recommendations of all the above mentioned reports and publish a list of all recommendations detailing those recommendations which have;
(i) been undertaken and completed;
(ii) commenced being worked upon; and
(iii) not yet been acted upon; and
(b) to report this information annually to the Assembly via the Justice and Community Safety Committee.
I am confident that Mr Rattenbury will shortly stand to speak against my motion to some extent, telling us that the number of cases of contraband in the AMC is much lower than in other jurisdictions, trying to tell us that there is not an issue here—
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