Page 478 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 2018
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(d) the Shadow Minister for Corrections wrote to the Chief Minister on 21 December 2017, outlining the recent failings in corrections, including:
(i) the death of two inmates while in custody;
(ii) three inmates escaping from The Canberra Hospital while receiving treatment;
(iii) two inmates escaping from the AMC using building materials;
(iv) the severe bashing of two Indigenous inmates; and
(v) reports of a forensic investigation into the AMC Detainee Trust Fund;
(e) the Shadow Minister also sought the Chief Minister’s advice as to whether the Minister for Corrections was an appropriate fit for the role and if he had confidence in the Minister’s capacity;
(f) the Chief Minister responded on 15 January 2018 stating “I do not agree with your characterisation of events in this portfolio or your assessment of the Minister”; and
(g) the Chief Minister did not advise whether the Minister for Corrections was an appropriate fit for the role, nor if he has confidence in the Minister;
(2) calls on the Chief Minister to advise if the Minister for Corrections is an appropriate fit for the role and if the Chief Minister has full confidence in the Minister; and
(3) calls on the Minister for Corrections to:
(a) advise the Assembly of the disciplinary or other actions taken in redress against staff members involved in the mistaken release; and
(b) conduct a review into the cause of this incident and determine:
(i) whether the current policies and procedures of the AMC adequately protect inmates, ACT Corrective Services staff and the wider Canberra community;
(ii) the underlying governance failings that allowed such a grave error to occur;
(iii) established recommendations for improving the policies, procedures and governance of the AMC; and
(iv) report back to the Assembly by the last sitting in March 2018.
I have moved this motion because here we are again, in another year, having another discussion about failings at the Alexander Maconochie Centre—not another overdose, fortunately.
On 16 December last year, staff at the AMC mistakenly released a prisoner from custody. This prisoner was meant to remain in custody on a further remand warrant. For approximately three days the inmate walked freely on the streets of Canberra. It took these three days for staff to realise an error had been made. Finally, the police were notified and a warrant was issued for the prisoner’s rearrest. It is understood that the person in question had a dangerous and violent criminal history and his release potentially threatened the safety of members of the community. Yet again, the
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