Ms MARTIN - 1996-02-27
On 12 December 1995, 3 days after the breakout by convicted murderers Heiss and Baker, the Minister for Correctional Services described the Territory's prison system on ABC radio in the following terms: `Just about everything, from the systems involved, the processes, the operations of the officers, the whole thing from whoa to go, is in a very poor state'. The minister now has a copy of the department's internal report on the breakout. Does this report confirm the minister's description of the prison system in those terms? If so, will he table those aspects of the report that relate to those comments or, if not, why not?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, as I have said in the past, and I do not step back from this, I will provide to the Assembly any information relating to the escape that does not relate to security. I certainly do not step back from the comments that the prison system was not operating at a very effective level. I am pleased to say that a review was initiated some months ago into all aspects of the operation of Correctional Services, both in Darwin and Alice Springs. A number of steps were put in train to make changes to the whole of Correctional Services. A large number of changes have been made in relation to training and procedures, processes of managing prisoners and staff morale processes. Those changes will continue to ensure that the prison system is brought to a very high standard.
I reiterate for the benefit of the member for Fannie Bay - I know she does not use a hearing aid and therefore she obviously practices selective hearing - that the prisoners concerned manufactured a key. They made it with material and machinery that was available as part of a hobby process which saw machinery left in the cell. That manufactured key was then used to open the cell doors which enabled ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, the member for Fannie Bay is now practising selective hearing. She does not want to hear this because it spoils her little story. If she wants to be an effective member, I would expect her to listen to the facts and then deal with those facts.
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Instead, she tries to make up stories or to raise matters that cloud the issue. She can do that as much as she wishes, but I will nail her continually for doing so.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: I will continue now, despite the interruptions from the member for Fannie Bay who does not want people to know the facts. The key was manufactured using hobby equipment which was left in the cell. As we know, the prisoners opened their cells and left.
Changes have been made, as I have said in this House a number of times and also outside. The use of certain hobby materials and equipment in cells is no longer permitted. The equipment used in that instance is no longer to be left in cells and the whole process by which prisoners may pursue hobbies has been changed completely. Unless prisoners are into soft hobbies such as soft-toy making or art, they do not have the equipment in their cells. It is pretty simple.
If the honourable member is trying to confuse the issue of improving the entire operation of Correctional Services by repeatedly raising an escape where the details of how that escape occurred and the changes that have been made to avoid a recurrence using those means have been enumerated many times, she is wasting her time. She has been told a number of times that the pursuit of hobbies has been reorganised. There remains no ability for a prisoner to manufacture keys and the locking process has been changed. If she cannot hear and understand that information, I assure her that the community can. The community understands it and supports the fact that we should not be talking about any matters that relate to security and the disclosure of which might endanger the community.
I wish to pay tribute to the people who were involved in searching for those prisoners and in their recapture. I wish also to pay tribute to residents of the Darwin rural community whose support of the searchers enabled those very dangerous men to be apprehended.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, as I have said in the past, and I do not step back from this, I will provide to the Assembly any information relating to the escape that does not relate to security. I certainly do not step back from the comments that the prison system was not operating at a very effective level. I am pleased to say that a review was initiated some months ago into all aspects of the operation of Correctional Services, both in Darwin and Alice Springs. A number of steps were put in train to make changes to the whole of Correctional Services. A large number of changes have been made in relation to training and procedures, processes of managing prisoners and staff morale processes. Those changes will continue to ensure that the prison system is brought to a very high standard.
I reiterate for the benefit of the member for Fannie Bay - I know she does not use a hearing aid and therefore she obviously practices selective hearing - that the prisoners concerned manufactured a key. They made it with material and machinery that was available as part of a hobby process which saw machinery left in the cell. That manufactured key was then used to open the cell doors which enabled ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, the member for Fannie Bay is now practising selective hearing. She does not want to hear this because it spoils her little story. If she wants to be an effective member, I would expect her to listen to the facts and then deal with those facts.
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Instead, she tries to make up stories or to raise matters that cloud the issue. She can do that as much as she wishes, but I will nail her continually for doing so.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: I will continue now, despite the interruptions from the member for Fannie Bay who does not want people to know the facts. The key was manufactured using hobby equipment which was left in the cell. As we know, the prisoners opened their cells and left.
Changes have been made, as I have said in this House a number of times and also outside. The use of certain hobby materials and equipment in cells is no longer permitted. The equipment used in that instance is no longer to be left in cells and the whole process by which prisoners may pursue hobbies has been changed completely. Unless prisoners are into soft hobbies such as soft-toy making or art, they do not have the equipment in their cells. It is pretty simple.
If the honourable member is trying to confuse the issue of improving the entire operation of Correctional Services by repeatedly raising an escape where the details of how that escape occurred and the changes that have been made to avoid a recurrence using those means have been enumerated many times, she is wasting her time. She has been told a number of times that the pursuit of hobbies has been reorganised. There remains no ability for a prisoner to manufacture keys and the locking process has been changed. If she cannot hear and understand that information, I assure her that the community can. The community understands it and supports the fact that we should not be talking about any matters that relate to security and the disclosure of which might endanger the community.
I wish to pay tribute to the people who were involved in searching for those prisoners and in their recapture. I wish also to pay tribute to residents of the Darwin rural community whose support of the searchers enabled those very dangerous men to be apprehended.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016