Whole place runs on overtime’: Risdon Prison Correction Officers stop work over understaffing

Correctional officers say they fear for their safety, claiming understaffing is increasing the risk they face every day. WHAT THEY WANT >>

Correctional officers at Risdon Prison stopped work on Wednesday, in protest of what they claim are understaffing and safety issues.

150 officers stopped work for an hour, in an effort to urge the government to hire more staff.

Correctional officer and CPSU delegate Allen Stennings said

“The big problem we have in there at the moment is the whole place runs on overtime,” correctional officer and CPSU delegate Allen Stennings said.

“Staff shortages across the state are extreme and effectively the more you’re at work the more you’re at risk of injury.”

“The hours our guys are doing are extreme.”

Mr Stennings said the job was high risk.

“As a correctional officer there is always the risk of an assault, there’s the risk of mental health, there’s a lot of risks that come with the position,” he said.

“The more often you’re there, the more you’re exposed to that high stress and it’s as simple as that.

“It is a high stress environment, you will burn out, and eventually there will be injuries that will come.”

Breaking News Breaking News Correctional officers walked off the job at Risdon Prison.

Mr Stennings said on any given day the prison was thirty staff short.

“It’s been going on for the best part of what I can remember,” Mr Stennings said.

“I’ve been a union delegate now for 12 years and this is an argument that only gets bigger.”

CPSU assist Secretary Tom Lynch feared the problem would get worse when the government opened its new remand centre.

“This government has fantasy they’re going to open a remand centre early in 2022 that’s going to require 50 additional staff, yet on a daily basis they cannot fill the units they currently have,” Mr Lynch said.

“Members today have drawn a line in the sand and they have made it clear to the government they will not be unlocking units unless there is safe staffing and they certainly won’t be unlocking any new units like the remand centre until it is fully staffed.

“Don’t get us wrong, the new facility is absolutely needed, but you can’t put that pressure back on officers.”

Risdon Prison. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

A government spokesperson said new staff were being trained.

“Our Government has invested significantly in boosting staff statewide with more than 237 extra Correctional Officers in our prison system since 2016, including 79 in 2020 alone,” they said.

“Additionally, 22 new recruits commenced training less than three weeks ago, with their graduation expected in February 2022, with more recruitment ongoing.

Senior members of the Department of Justice and the Tasmania Prison service have also been “meeting regularly with the unions to keep them updated on recruitment and hear their concerns.

“We urge the unions to recognise these efforts and to stop playing political games.”

Ashley site ‘prime’ for new prison and rehab centre

A GROUP opposing what was previously identified as the preferred site of the northern prison say their concerns have not been eased as the state government weighs up the possibility of repurposing the Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

The state government will consult with the Meander Valley community after Corrections Minister Elise Archer said the AYDC site would be well suited for the facility.

Westbury Residents Against the Prison president Linda Poulton said opposition to the Birralee Road option needed to be factored into the decision.

“The question is: how will community sentiment on the Brushy Rivulet reserve be assessed?” Ms Poulton said.

“Today’s announcement does not provide closure for WRAP.

“The refusal to abandon the Brushy Rivulet site altogether means we cannot and will not be complacent.”

The group is promising to escalate action if the option remains on the table.

“Unless Environment Minister Sussan Ley declares the Brushy Rivulet reserve as off limits, we will have no choice but to lobby people not to vote for the Liberal candidate for Lyons in the upcoming election, and that’s exactly what we’ll do,” Ms Poulton said.

The Ashley Youth Detention Centre. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The state government announced in September it planned to shut down the youth prison, located near Deloraine, within the next three years and replace it with two new facilities.

The announcement sparked calls for the government to consider the outgoing site for the northern prison.

On Thursday Ms Archer confirmed the option was being considered.

“While no decision has been made on moving the northern correctional facility, an initial evaluation indicates the AYDC site is well suited for a modern, state-of-the art correctional facility in Northern Tasmania with a rehabilitative focus,” she said.

The site previously earmarked for the northern prison lies five kilometres outside of Westbury on Birralee Road, but its proximity to the township has resulted in backlash from some community members.

Ms Archer said more community consultation would be needed.

“The initial engagement focus will be with the immediate neighbours, followed by feedback from the broader Meander Valley and surrounding communities.”

“Following this process, the Government will then decide whether to move the correctional facility to the AYDC site or to continue on the existing site at Birralee Road.

“As part of this consultation, I reiterate that the Northern correctional facility will have a rehabilitative focus and to deliver this, we will now invest in more maximum security facilities at the Risdon Prison Complex.”

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: Chris Kidd

Premier Peter Gutwein confirmed there were moves afoot to sure up Ashley as an option for a new adult prison in the state’s north.

“No decision has been made on moving the proposed site of the new northern correctional facility to that site but initial evaluations have found it is suited for a new state-of-the-art prison,” Mr Gutwein said on Thursday.

“We will be beginning a community consultation process regarding the future use of that site and will report back next year.

“Many people are suggesting it should be the site of any new prison.”

The government had selected a site near Westbury of the new northern prison but faced stiff opposition from the local community.

The decision to build it in Birralee Rd was made before the government bowed to pressure to close down Ashley within three years and build two new youth custodial facilities freeing the land up for other possible uses.

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Originally published as Whole place runs on overtime’: Risdon Prison Correction Officers stop work over understaffing