New Victorian prisoners to be quarantined in bid to beat coronavirus spread
Victorian prisons are quarantining new inmates in near-lockdown conditions in a desperate bid to prevent a spread of COVID-19 throughout the system. But some say the tough restrictions don’t fit the prisoners’ crimes.
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Victorian prisons are quarantining new inmates in virtual lockdown conditions in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19 throughout the prison system.
There are currently no confirmed cases of the virus within Victoria’s prisons, but there are fears of a rapid transmission between prisoners if it is introduced into the system.
A Corrections Victoria directive that was widely circulated on Sunday revealed that prisoners entering the prison system would be held in a protective quarantine unit from Saturday.
Lawyers say it means petty thieves and people accused of low-level crimes, remanded under tough new bail laws, will be forced to endure the toughest of prison conditions.
Prisoners in quarantine are being housed in individual cells and are permitted to leave their cells for emergency events and court appearances.
Professional visits including access to lawyers are allowed via phone only.
Prisoners in these units have access to in-cell phone calls, video-based visits, books, education material, printed exercise routines and TVs.
Quarantine units have been established at each of the five prisons that receive new prisoners into custody.
Corrections Victoria Acting Deputy Commissioner, Custodial Operations, Melissa Westin has told staff that they are to manage all new prisoners as though they have a suspected case of COVID-19.
“Given the risk of COVID-19 transmission, prisoners time out of cell will be significantly limited,” Ms Westin said in an instruction to staff.
In an email sent around Melbourne’s legal fraternity on Sunday, Corrections Commissioner Emma Cassar said the decision was to manage the evolving risk of the virus to the prison system.
“This measure applies to people who have been out in the community these past few weeks and that bring that exposure risk with them into custody,” she said.
“We are working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services, our staff, prisoners and all relevant authorities to ensure we’re taking the measures needed to protect everyone’s health.”
Ms Cassar said existing management measures, including quarantine protocols, remained in place across the prison system for all other prisoners.
But criminal lawyer Felix Ralph, who along with more than 100 other lawyers has petitioned for the release of some prisoners, said the quarantine measures would prove ineffective.
“It’s no ones fault that the bail laws are no longer fit for purpose, but they are now,” he said.
“Pretending to isolate your way out of a pandemic will end inevitably in misery. The response is insufficient.
“For a lot of new prisoners this isn’t crime of the century stuff, it’s stealing candy bars that can get you remanded.”
The state government has ruled out the early release of prisoners.
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