Correctional Services Act to be revamped to make drone flight illegal near prison, after several sightings

Drones have been found hovering near prisons or crashed inside them. To counter the rising threat, a legal revamp will make flight illegal near jail.

Figures from the Corrections Department show there were nine sightings of drones over or within the perimeters of prisons since 2018.

Corrections officials are facing a new method of introducing contraband to prisons as drones have been spotted hovering over prisons and some have even been found crashed inside facilities.

Figures from the Corrections Department show there were nine sightings of drones over or within the perimeters of prisons since 2018.

Two crashed drones were found in areas which prisoners could not access within prisons.

The figures come less than a week after Corrections told The Advertiser that the amount of contraband seized as it was brought into prisons had doubled in the past year.

When asked about whether Corrections was contemplating the use of technology designed to disrupt drones in flight, a spokeswoman said the department’s tactical planning could not be disclosed.

“(Corrections) continues to monitor emerging technology in the space of drone detection,” she said.

“For safety and security reasons, we cannot disclose operational planning or products around this.”

A major legislative overhaul, which includes harsher punishments for prisoners caught with contraband, addresses the rising issue of drones over prisons.

The revamp of the Correctional Services Act, announced in May 2019, makes it illegal for anyone to fly a drone within 100m of prisons. The Bill also strengthens laws against those planning riots.

The Bill is before the Upper House and is expected to be a priority when Parliament resumes on February 2.

Corrections Minister Vincent Tarzia called on Labor to assist in getting the Bill across the final hurdles.

“Drones have no place flying near any prison,” he said. “Under the Marshall Liberal Government’s changes before parliament, people caught doing this will face a maximum fine of $10,000 or two years imprisonment.”

Public Service Association acting general secretary Natasha Brown said the union, which represents prison guards, supported the new laws.

“Any measure to prevent contraband entering the prison system will help keep staff, other prisoners and the community safe,” she said.

“Properly staffing prisons is a proven method to reduce safety risks associated with contraband like drugs, weapons and mobile phones in prisons.”

Last year, 560 items were taken from inmates, compared with 292 in 2019 and 212 in 2018.

The rise in confiscations was attributed to the banning of tobacco in prisons, rolled out over the past two years.