❓ Opposition MP Kirkup questions the Minister for Corrective Services about prison incidents and overcrowding. The Minister downplays the Hakea allegations and praises Albany prison staff for their handling of a disturbance.
AnsweredQoN 811Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PRISONS — RIOTS —
OVERCROWDING
811. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I refer to a recent spate of
incidents at Albany Regional Prison and Hakea Prison, where we have seen tens
of thousands of dollars' worth of damage caused by fires and riots, a spate
of assaults against guards, and outbreaks of influenza and, I think,
salmonella. Given that it has been almost four months since the minister
oversaw the worst riot and prison escape in our state's history, what
steps has he taken to ensure that our pressure-cooker prison system does not
explode again?
OVERCROWDING
811. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I refer to a recent spate of
incidents at Albany Regional Prison and Hakea Prison, where we have seen tens
of thousands of dollars' worth of damage caused by fires and riots, a spate
of assaults against guards, and outbreaks of influenza and, I think,
salmonella. Given that it has been almost four months since the minister
oversaw the worst riot and prison escape in our state's history, what
steps has he taken to ensure that our pressure-cooker prison system does not
explode again?
AnswerView source ↗
That is a good question. The member
wants me to fix salmonella, flu and all these things. ''Why is it your
responsibility, minister? Why have all those people in Karnet got —''
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : You have asked
the question and now you are giving the answer. That is not how it works.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Why do all
those prisoners in Karnet Prison have the flu? I do not know why they have the
flu. It has been winter. I am not too sure what in Hakea the member is talking
about. The allegations he has made about Hakea are simply not true. There was
an incident at Albany Regional Prison in which 10 prisoners caused a disturbance
and tried to go on a rampage. That was brought to an end very quickly because
many of the officers in Albany have special operations training, similar to the
special operations group. They are trained to that level and they brought a very
quick end to the behaviour of those 10 prisoners in Albany. They did a great
job! They did not have to call on any external resources to deal with the
issue, such as the special operations group from Canning Vale. It is similar to
what happened in Greenough. As a standalone prison, Albany can deal with
incidents such as this. It was not a major incident. Damage was caused and was
dealt with by the prison. I take my hat off to the superintendent in Albany,
who managed the situation very well indeed. As with all incidents in prisons,
unless you clamp down on them very quickly, they can spiral out of control and
more prisoners get involved, which we saw at Greenough. The way that prisons
are designed—the member for Dawesville has been in them himself—particular
wings can be shut off so that those people who are misbehaving or causing
damage can be isolated and dealt with in a very quick way. That is what
happened in Albany.
I am not too sure what the member is
talking about at Hakea. I have not heard of any of the things he spoke about,
and I was there only yesterday.
wants me to fix salmonella, flu and all these things. ''Why is it your
responsibility, minister? Why have all those people in Karnet got —''
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : You have asked
the question and now you are giving the answer. That is not how it works.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Why do all
those prisoners in Karnet Prison have the flu? I do not know why they have the
flu. It has been winter. I am not too sure what in Hakea the member is talking
about. The allegations he has made about Hakea are simply not true. There was
an incident at Albany Regional Prison in which 10 prisoners caused a disturbance
and tried to go on a rampage. That was brought to an end very quickly because
many of the officers in Albany have special operations training, similar to the
special operations group. They are trained to that level and they brought a very
quick end to the behaviour of those 10 prisoners in Albany. They did a great
job! They did not have to call on any external resources to deal with the
issue, such as the special operations group from Canning Vale. It is similar to
what happened in Greenough. As a standalone prison, Albany can deal with
incidents such as this. It was not a major incident. Damage was caused and was
dealt with by the prison. I take my hat off to the superintendent in Albany,
who managed the situation very well indeed. As with all incidents in prisons,
unless you clamp down on them very quickly, they can spiral out of control and
more prisoners get involved, which we saw at Greenough. The way that prisons
are designed—the member for Dawesville has been in them himself—particular
wings can be shut off so that those people who are misbehaving or causing
damage can be isolated and dealt with in a very quick way. That is what
happened in Albany.
I am not too sure what the member is
talking about at Hakea. I have not heard of any of the things he spoke about,
and I was there only yesterday.
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