❓ Ms Davies questions the Minister for Corrective Services about the 'folding up' restraint method at Banksia Hill Detention Centre following an ABC Four Corners report. The Minister confirms a narrowing of the procedure's use in 2021 and its subsequent cessation, while declining to table the relevant policy.
AnsweredQoN 703Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BANKSIA HILL DETENTION
CENTRE — FOUR CORNERS REPORT —''FOLDING UP'' RESTRAINT METHODOLOGY
703. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to a statement from the
Department of Justice to ABC Four Corners advising that the use of
folding up as a restraint process was authorised for officers to use only as a last
resort in the most extreme circumstances for as little time as possible when
there was a safety risk to staff and other detainees.
(1) Has the minister now requested a
briefing from his department on this form of restraint?
(2) Is there a formal policy in
place for officers to use, and will the minister table it in Parliament?
(3) Is a record maintained of the
use of this type of restraint?
CENTRE — FOUR CORNERS REPORT —''FOLDING UP'' RESTRAINT METHODOLOGY
703. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to a statement from the
Department of Justice to ABC Four Corners advising that the use of
folding up as a restraint process was authorised for officers to use only as a last
resort in the most extreme circumstances for as little time as possible when
there was a safety risk to staff and other detainees.
(1) Has the minister now requested a
briefing from his department on this form of restraint?
(2) Is there a formal policy in
place for officers to use, and will the minister table it in Parliament?
(3) Is a record maintained of the
use of this type of restraint?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
confirm that the Commissioner for Corrective Services, I am told, issued an
order in January 2021, when I was not the Minister for Corrective Services,
regarding the narrowing of the use of this particular methodology; that is to
say that prior to January 2021, the capacity for trained staff to use this
procedure was wider than it is currently, or was until now. Of course, we have
now asked the department to cease using this methodology.
All
critical incidents are reported. Therefore, there is a report of every
interaction between detainees and officers. For example, the situation
that occurred in February this year that was highlighted by the Four Corners report on Monday night was widely recorded in the system, including by video. I
make the point that that video was not
leaked to the ABC; it was given to the lawyers of the youth detainee who was involved in the incident. By the way, the
incident was also investigated by the police and I am advised that no
staff involved in that incident were subject to any adverse findings following
that police investigation. I will not be tabling the procedures because it is
not the practice to table the confidential procedures of the department because, of course, they are about
the operating procedures in each individual facility and there are
obviously reasons that the department does not want unedited versions of the
procedures becoming public.
confirm that the Commissioner for Corrective Services, I am told, issued an
order in January 2021, when I was not the Minister for Corrective Services,
regarding the narrowing of the use of this particular methodology; that is to
say that prior to January 2021, the capacity for trained staff to use this
procedure was wider than it is currently, or was until now. Of course, we have
now asked the department to cease using this methodology.
All
critical incidents are reported. Therefore, there is a report of every
interaction between detainees and officers. For example, the situation
that occurred in February this year that was highlighted by the Four Corners report on Monday night was widely recorded in the system, including by video. I
make the point that that video was not
leaked to the ABC; it was given to the lawyers of the youth detainee who was involved in the incident. By the way, the
incident was also investigated by the police and I am advised that no
staff involved in that incident were subject to any adverse findings following
that police investigation. I will not be tabling the procedures because it is
not the practice to table the confidential procedures of the department because, of course, they are about
the operating procedures in each individual facility and there are
obviously reasons that the department does not want unedited versions of the
procedures becoming public.
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