Public Service Association and Corrections Department meeting as prisoners released from lockdown
A LOCKDOWN across South Australia’s prison system has been lifted this morning but the public sector union remains in conflict with the State Government over safety concerns and overcrowding.
A LOCKDOWN across South Australia’s prison system has been lifted this morning but the public sector union remains in conflict with the State Government over safety concerns and overcrowding.
The parties returned to negotiations in the Industrial Relations Commission at 10.30am.
The lockdown prevented prisoners from spending time outside or on work details and prison staff are refusing to escort prisoners, such as to court, except in medical emergencies.
It followed a vote on Wednesday morning by members of the Public Service Association, which represents corrections staff, to place Mobilong Prison into lockdown effective immediately.
The decision was made in response to concerns raised with the Corrections Department that “unsuitable prisoners” are being housed in Mobilong Prison, which is a medium-security facility.
The PSA held talks early on Wednesday with Corrections Department representatives but PSA Assistant General Secretary Natasha Brown said that a resolution could not be reached.
This prompted the decision to impose a statewide lockdown.
In a bid to resolve the deadlock, the union and department went before the Industrial Relations Commission for about four hours late on Wednesday.
Those talks resume this morning.
Asked about the Mobilong lockdown during Question Time in Parliament on Wednesday, Correctional Services Minister Peter Malinauskas said he was “incredibly disappointed” by the industrial action.
“I very much hope that the issue is resolved as quickly as possible so that these workers can get on with their job and prisoners can be attended to accordingly,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“I am confident the department has the matter in hand.”
Opposition correctional services spokesman Stephan Knoll said the lockdown was “the culmination of years of poor planning and mismanagement” of the prison system by the State Government.
On Thursday he cited figures which showed the prison system had been relying on surge capacity beds since November, 2011 — 1932 days ago.
“It is staggering that for almost 2000 days the Weatherill Government has been running the prison system over capacity, putting staff and prisons at increased risk,” Mr Knoll said.
“Latest figures show the overcrowding of prisons is costing taxpayers an extra $51 million a year.
“It is clear that (Minister Malinauskas) has a solution for locking down his transition to the seat of Croydon but not one for dealing with the lock down in our prisons.”
Mr Malinauskas said the Government was continuing to invest in more prison beds while exploring ways to reduce the numbers of offenders repeatedly ending up behind bars.
Ms Brown said the union had “been raising concerns for some time” and was dissatisfied with the Government’s response, particularly in a letter received on Tuesday.
“Members remain concerned for the safety of prisoners, officers and the community,” she said.
Ms Brown said orders from an Industrial Relations Commission hearing last month stated that Mobilong Prison management should avoid sending prisoners who were unsuitable for that environment.
“Members are concerned that due to the bedspace crisis across the prison system prisoners that are unsuitable are sent (to Mobilong),” she said.
“This places both prisoner and officer safety at risk.”