Page 4378 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019
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I would like to thank the office of the Inspector of Correctional Services for this report that will continue to inform best practice in the care, treatment and safety of all detainees in the ACT’s correctional facilities.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Report of a review of a critical incident by the Inspector of Correctional Services—assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.51): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:
That the Assembly take note of the following paper:
Inspector of Correctional Services Act—Report of a Review of a Critical Incident by the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services—Assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 1 January and 15 April 2019—Government response.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (3.51): This is my last tabling statement for the afternoon. I am pleased to table the government’s response to two critical incident reviews of the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services. As members are aware, on 30 July 2019 the inspector tabled the report of a review of a critical incident, Assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 1 January 2019. On 22 August 2019 the inspector tabled a further report of a review of a critical incident, Assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 15 April 2019.
Both of these reviews were conducted on the inspector’s own initiative, following two separate assaults and the subsequent hospitalisation of the victims, who were detainees at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. This government response addresses the findings and recommendations contained in both reports. They provide transparency to the ACT community and identify areas for continuous improvement in the ACT’s corrections environment.
The review of the incident that occurred on 1 January 2019 found that, overall, the assault was not reasonably foreseeable by ACT Corrective Services and that the actions of staff were appropriate in the circumstances. However, it made three recommendations for improvement in policy and practice at the AMC.
Recommendation 1 made in the report relates to the review of policy to require that risk assessments occur for every accommodation placement decision. This recommendation is agreed and will be actioned when the shared cell policy is notified by the end of the year. The new policy establishes the requirement for risk assessments to take place for accommodation placement decisions and dictates the type of documentation to be completed.
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