Opposition puts Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin through prison wringer during question time

OPPOSTION Leader Bryan Green has told State Parliament the prison service has become “a dysfunctional mess” on Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin’s watch.

Tasmanian Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin during question time in the House of Assembly. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

ATTORNEY-General Vanessa Goodwin has come under pressure in State Parliament over problems at Risdon Prison.

During the Attorney-General’s weekly appearance in Lower House question time, Labor took the opportunity to pressure her over prison problems such as bungled releases, deaths in custody, increasing contraband and a crashed drone.

MORE: PROBE AFTER DRONE CRASHES AT RISDON

Opposition leader Bryan Green said the prison service had become “a dysfunctional mess” on Dr Goodwin’s watch.

MORE: BUNGLED PRISON RELEASES UNDER REVIEW

He raised the recent incident of a drone crash in prison grounds. The drone was carrying contraband including drugs and SIM cards.

MORE: CONTRABAND, SIM CARDS DROPPED BY DRONE

“Can you definitely say this was an isolated incident ... and if not how many aircraft have been detected or seized within prison grounds?” he said.

Dr Goodwin said the use of drones to bring in contraband was an increasing challenge for prisons worldwide.

“The Tasmanian Prison Service should be commended for increasing its seizures of contraband,” she said.

Dr Goodwin responded to Labor’s criticism of the year-long handover for a new director of prisons by saying a lack of succession planning had been identified as a problem by the outgoing director.

During Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin’s weekly appearance in Lower House question time, Labor took the opportunity to pressure her over prison problems.

Originally published as Opposition puts Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin through prison wringer during question time