NSW blocks UN Prevention of Torture officers from prison inspections
United Nations officers who complained about ‘narrow stairwells’ and ‘white bread sandwiches’ in NZ jails have been barred from entering NSW prisons despite a federal government request.
NSW
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The State Government is blocking a Federal government request to allow surprise visits to the state’s jails by United Nations officers after inspections of overseas prisons led to criticisms about mattress quality and “thin” sandwiches.
UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture inspectors will arrive in Australia on Monday with a view to conducting a sweep of State and Territory prison facilities from October 16-27.
While any jail could be subject to unannounced inspection, the committee has indicated a preference for those housing maximum security inmates, which could include Supermax and Parklea.
It will be the first time the inspections have taken place in Australia since the former Turnbull government ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture in 2017, with a scheduled visit in 2020 postponed by Covid.
The Albanese government recently wrote to the Perrottet government to seek co-operation for the UN inspectors to be able to make unannounced visits to all jails, in particular maximum security and women’s prisons.
The inspectors also want to inspect youth justice facilities, immigration detention centres, police cells and mental health institutions.
Along with being able to visit a prison at any time unannounced, it is understood inspectors also want to be able to conduct interviews with inmates in their cells without the prisoner being handcuffed, including inmates serving sentences for violent crimes.
The inspectors also want interviews with prisoners to be able to be conducted in confidence without the presence of a prison officer and be allowed to carry a phone inside the jail, as well as thermometers and laser measuring devices to measures the size of cells.
The committee has also asked for statistics on complaint numbers and criminal investigations into allegations of torture or ill-treatment.
According to correspondence sighted by The Sunday Telegraph, the NSW government is concerned about the operational, security and safety implications of surprise visits and has requested inspections be “prearranged”.
The government has also raised the issue of who might pay for the implementation of any potential recommendations, especially if they involve reconfiguring cells, or entire jails.
According to the UN website, the inspectors can visit facilities “where a person may be being deprived of their liberty” and can recommend action “to be taken to improve the treatment of detainees”.
Previous UN visits to jails in New Zealand have led to findings of stairwells being too narrow, the lack of gym equipment and pre-packaged food.
It also raised concerns about breakfast and lunches being monotonous, comprising “thin white bread sandwiches” and a piece of fruit.
It is understood the government will argue NSW jails are already under significant scrutiny and oversight, including from the Inspector of Custodial Services, the Law Enforcement and Conduct Commission, police, the NSW Ombudsman and the Audit Office of NSW
The Northern Territory – which only recently stopped the use of spit hoods on young people in police custody – has agreed to the UN inspections.
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Originally published as NSW blocks UN Prevention of Torture officers from prison inspections
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