❓ Opposition MP Kirkup questions the Minister for Corrective Services about a CCC report highlighting drug smuggling by prison officers. The Minister defends the government's actions and criticises the opposition's approach.
AnsweredQoN 471Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORRECTIVE SERVICES —
CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION — ''REPORT ON CORRUPT CUSTODIAL
OFFICERS AND THE RISKS OF CONTRABAND ENTERING PRISONS''
471. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
Given the continued failures in the
Corrective Services portfolio, including failure to notify the community when
electronically tracked criminals were lost and, under the minister's
watch, the finding in a Corruption and Crime Commission report that convicted
paedophiles and murderers had had unsupervised access to public places such as
Hungry Jack's, will the minister explain fresh findings revealed by the
CCC yesterday that highlight that, under the minister's watch, drugs
are flying unfettered into our prison system, carried in by the very officers who
are meant to be preventing it?
CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION — ''REPORT ON CORRUPT CUSTODIAL
OFFICERS AND THE RISKS OF CONTRABAND ENTERING PRISONS''
471. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
Given the continued failures in the
Corrective Services portfolio, including failure to notify the community when
electronically tracked criminals were lost and, under the minister's
watch, the finding in a Corruption and Crime Commission report that convicted
paedophiles and murderers had had unsupervised access to public places such as
Hungry Jack's, will the minister explain fresh findings revealed by the
CCC yesterday that highlight that, under the minister's watch, drugs
are flying unfettered into our prison system, carried in by the very officers who
are meant to be preventing it?
AnswerView source ↗
In response to the question that has
been put by the member for Dawesville, I note that his comments in WAtoday
reflect the question that he has just put to this chamber—just more
hysterical banter by the member for Dawesville. If he is going to approach this
matter, he should approach it seriously, because it is a serious issue. This is
not about scoring points against the minister or the government; it is about
dealing with serious criminal matters.
The CCC has quite rightly identified
two prison officers who, it appears, have admitted to undertaking criminal
actions. I have told this house and the member personally, and have spoken on
radio, about the matter at Karnet Prison Farm: the biggest problem we have in
prisons when it comes to staff is grooming, and that is identified in this
report. It is not surprising that grooming occurs in prisons, because prisons
are full of criminals. They are full of people who have been put in there
primarily for either taking drugs, selling drugs, or carrying out other
criminal activities with violence, under the influence of drugs. That is why
they are there, and they spend all their time in there working out devious ways
of getting around the prison rules. That is what they do, and one of the things
they do is identify weaknesses in prison officers. That was clearly set out in
the CCC report. The two officers involved were clearly identified as having a weakness
and a susceptibility to being groomed, and they were groomed. That is a major
problem for security.
This is not an issue of, ''The
minister has allowed this to happen.'' That is a pathetic statement. I could
easily turn around to this house and ask, ''Well, what did you do when
you were advising the previous Premier on Corrective Services for two years on
this very issue? What did you advise them to do? Maybe it's your fault
that it wasn't addressed under the previous government.'' But I will
not say that, because it is stupid, and I would prefer it if the member did not
take that approach either.
This is a very serious issue. If the member read the report,
he would know that these two officers have apparently indicated quite clearly
and openly to the CCC that they not only consorted with criminals, but also
conspired with criminals to bring drugs into prison. I am going to personally
refer these two individuals and these matters to the Commissioner of Police for
further investigation and possible criminal charges. If one reads the report as
to what they have self-admitted to under the CCC, on my simple interpretation
they appear to be criminal-related matters. I believe the police should further
investigate these matters and, if possible, bring charges against those two
officers so that we can send a very, very clear message to the bad apples in
the system that they will not only be caught, but also hopefully charged and
imprisoned for what they have done.
I might add: how did these prison
officers get caught in the first place? They got caught because prisoners and
other prison officers were very unsure about the behaviour of both those prison
officers—the officer in the gym and the other prison officer. The
prisoners themselves indicated to prison officers that they may be dealing with
drugs. It was the prison officers who brought that to the attention of the
authorities, and the Department of Justice, Acacia Prison and Serco that
referred it to the CCC.
That
is in keeping with the drug strategy that we are implementing at the moment. I might
point out to the member for Dawesville that there has not been a drug strategy
in place within the Department of Justice since it was cancelled by his
government in 2012. After just over 12 months of the McGowan government, we
have increased our investment in intelligence by 300 per cent, we have
undertaken more than 64 000 searches over two particular contraband
interception projects, and we have caught significant amounts of contraband
going into prisons. That will continue, and I can tell the member for
Dawesville that it is a damn sight more than was done under his government.
been put by the member for Dawesville, I note that his comments in WAtoday
reflect the question that he has just put to this chamber—just more
hysterical banter by the member for Dawesville. If he is going to approach this
matter, he should approach it seriously, because it is a serious issue. This is
not about scoring points against the minister or the government; it is about
dealing with serious criminal matters.
The CCC has quite rightly identified
two prison officers who, it appears, have admitted to undertaking criminal
actions. I have told this house and the member personally, and have spoken on
radio, about the matter at Karnet Prison Farm: the biggest problem we have in
prisons when it comes to staff is grooming, and that is identified in this
report. It is not surprising that grooming occurs in prisons, because prisons
are full of criminals. They are full of people who have been put in there
primarily for either taking drugs, selling drugs, or carrying out other
criminal activities with violence, under the influence of drugs. That is why
they are there, and they spend all their time in there working out devious ways
of getting around the prison rules. That is what they do, and one of the things
they do is identify weaknesses in prison officers. That was clearly set out in
the CCC report. The two officers involved were clearly identified as having a weakness
and a susceptibility to being groomed, and they were groomed. That is a major
problem for security.
This is not an issue of, ''The
minister has allowed this to happen.'' That is a pathetic statement. I could
easily turn around to this house and ask, ''Well, what did you do when
you were advising the previous Premier on Corrective Services for two years on
this very issue? What did you advise them to do? Maybe it's your fault
that it wasn't addressed under the previous government.'' But I will
not say that, because it is stupid, and I would prefer it if the member did not
take that approach either.
This is a very serious issue. If the member read the report,
he would know that these two officers have apparently indicated quite clearly
and openly to the CCC that they not only consorted with criminals, but also
conspired with criminals to bring drugs into prison. I am going to personally
refer these two individuals and these matters to the Commissioner of Police for
further investigation and possible criminal charges. If one reads the report as
to what they have self-admitted to under the CCC, on my simple interpretation
they appear to be criminal-related matters. I believe the police should further
investigate these matters and, if possible, bring charges against those two
officers so that we can send a very, very clear message to the bad apples in
the system that they will not only be caught, but also hopefully charged and
imprisoned for what they have done.
I might add: how did these prison
officers get caught in the first place? They got caught because prisoners and
other prison officers were very unsure about the behaviour of both those prison
officers—the officer in the gym and the other prison officer. The
prisoners themselves indicated to prison officers that they may be dealing with
drugs. It was the prison officers who brought that to the attention of the
authorities, and the Department of Justice, Acacia Prison and Serco that
referred it to the CCC.
That
is in keeping with the drug strategy that we are implementing at the moment. I might
point out to the member for Dawesville that there has not been a drug strategy
in place within the Department of Justice since it was cancelled by his
government in 2012. After just over 12 months of the McGowan government, we
have increased our investment in intelligence by 300 per cent, we have
undertaken more than 64 000 searches over two particular contraband
interception projects, and we have caught significant amounts of contraband
going into prisons. That will continue, and I can tell the member for
Dawesville that it is a damn sight more than was done under his government.
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