❓ Mr Papalia questions the Minister for Corrective Services about mobile phones found in Acacia Prison, operated by Serco, and penalties for contract breaches. The Minister acknowledges the issue but doesn't provide specific answers, citing a need for more notice.
AnsweredQoN 739Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ACACIA
PRISON — SERCO CONTRACT — MOBILE PHONES
739. Mr P. PAPALIA to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the story on the front page of today's The West Australian that reveals that a
prisoner in the privately operated —
Mr T.R. Buswell interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Treasurer, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I
refer to the story on the front page of today's The West Australian that reveals that a prisoner in the privately
operated Acacia Prison is being investigated after his Facebook page was used
to threaten people and communicate with others outside the prison.
(1) How many mobile phones have been found inside Acacia
Prison in the last 12 months?
(2) Is it not
true that the private prison operator, Serco, should be penalised under the
conditions of the contract whenever an illicit mobile phone is found inside the
prison?
(3) On how
many occasions has Serco been penalised in the last 12 months due to breaches
of the Acacia contract in relation to mobile phones?
PRISON — SERCO CONTRACT — MOBILE PHONES
739. Mr P. PAPALIA to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the story on the front page of today's The West Australian that reveals that a
prisoner in the privately operated —
Mr T.R. Buswell interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Treasurer, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I
refer to the story on the front page of today's The West Australian that reveals that a prisoner in the privately
operated Acacia Prison is being investigated after his Facebook page was used
to threaten people and communicate with others outside the prison.
(1) How many mobile phones have been found inside Acacia
Prison in the last 12 months?
(2) Is it not
true that the private prison operator, Serco, should be penalised under the
conditions of the contract whenever an illicit mobile phone is found inside the
prison?
(3) On how
many occasions has Serco been penalised in the last 12 months due to breaches
of the Acacia contract in relation to mobile phones?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I think everyone in this house will understand when I say to the member for
Warnbro right now that I cannot answer that question—a little bit of notice
might have been helpful. But I will make some general observations on the
discovery of mobile phones within prisons.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the first time.
Member for Girrawheen, I will pretend I never heard you.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
try to do that all the time as well!
Over recent years, about 20 mobile
phones have been found within the prison system each financial year. That is
across all 14 estates. Technology has evolved over the last financial year and
there are now mobile phone detectors. A specific dog in the detection unit can
smell lithium and detect the lithium polymer and lithium ion batteries within a
mobile phone. The department has also rolled out what are called BOSS chairs, which
are body orifice security scanner seats.
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : This is a very serious issue. When people go into prison and
they are in a certain classification, they are required to sit in the seat, and
it can detect whether an object is hidden somewhere within the human body.
Last financial year, 30 mobile
phones were discovered. Just to keep this in context, do not forget that mobile
phone technology is evolving, like everything else, and phones are getting
smaller and becoming a little bit easier to conceal—obviously a little
bit easier than the old Motorola bricks that we would have seen 15 years ago!
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : This is a serious issue.
In the five months of this financial
year, due to a crackdown on people smuggling contraband into prisons, about 30 mobile
phones have been found in prisons in Western Australia. It is unacceptable to
have drugs and mobile phones within the prison system in Western Australia and
the government is doing everything it humanly can —
Mr D.J. Kelly : How
many times has Serco been penalised?
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
Member for Bassendean, it is not just Serco; phones are also found in public
sector prisons. They get into the public prison system as well, member for
Bassendean. In fact, two weeks ago there was a significant discovery of drugs,
syringes and a mobile phone at Bunbury Regional Prison. Intelligence work paid
off to find those things that had been smuggled into that prison. It happens in
not only Serco-run prisons but all prisons. I am determined to do everything we
can to ensure that contraband such as drugs and mobile phones do not get into
the prisons in Western Australia.
I think everyone in this house will understand when I say to the member for
Warnbro right now that I cannot answer that question—a little bit of notice
might have been helpful. But I will make some general observations on the
discovery of mobile phones within prisons.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the first time.
Member for Girrawheen, I will pretend I never heard you.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
try to do that all the time as well!
Over recent years, about 20 mobile
phones have been found within the prison system each financial year. That is
across all 14 estates. Technology has evolved over the last financial year and
there are now mobile phone detectors. A specific dog in the detection unit can
smell lithium and detect the lithium polymer and lithium ion batteries within a
mobile phone. The department has also rolled out what are called BOSS chairs, which
are body orifice security scanner seats.
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : This is a very serious issue. When people go into prison and
they are in a certain classification, they are required to sit in the seat, and
it can detect whether an object is hidden somewhere within the human body.
Last financial year, 30 mobile
phones were discovered. Just to keep this in context, do not forget that mobile
phone technology is evolving, like everything else, and phones are getting
smaller and becoming a little bit easier to conceal—obviously a little
bit easier than the old Motorola bricks that we would have seen 15 years ago!
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : This is a serious issue.
In the five months of this financial
year, due to a crackdown on people smuggling contraband into prisons, about 30 mobile
phones have been found in prisons in Western Australia. It is unacceptable to
have drugs and mobile phones within the prison system in Western Australia and
the government is doing everything it humanly can —
Mr D.J. Kelly : How
many times has Serco been penalised?
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
Member for Bassendean, it is not just Serco; phones are also found in public
sector prisons. They get into the public prison system as well, member for
Bassendean. In fact, two weeks ago there was a significant discovery of drugs,
syringes and a mobile phone at Bunbury Regional Prison. Intelligence work paid
off to find those things that had been smuggled into that prison. It happens in
not only Serco-run prisons but all prisons. I am determined to do everything we
can to ensure that contraband such as drugs and mobile phones do not get into
the prisons in Western Australia.
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