NT female jail a case of undie-belly

FEMALE prisoners fought over stolen bras and underwear amid a shortage of suitable undergarments, an ombudsman report has revealed

FEMALE prisoners fought over stolen bras and underwear amid a shortage of suitable undergarments, an ombudsman report has revealed.

According to complaints from prisoners in the Alice Springs Correctional Facility, two pairs of underwear and recycled bras were issued but often were too small, had holes in them or were ripped. The report said underwear was often stolen by prisoners which “caused the women to fight because they are stealing each other’s clothes”.

The report said Corrections staff later gave prisoners tracksuit pants, which the prisoners refused to wear during the day because they were see-through.

Ombudsman Peter Shoyer said the Corrections Department should review how prison staff distributed the underwear.

“I consider that Corrections should liaise with the female prisoners and review the current condition of all female prisoners’ clothing. Corrections should replace clothing which is in poor condition including clothes that are worn out, ripped, have holes or are not fitting properly,” he said.

Corrections responded in the report claiming women prisoners were given three pairs and denied they were “recycled”.

“We always provided ladies with three sets of underwear and they are new. Bras may be recycled but definitely their issued underpants are never recycled,” the report said.

Kungas Program staffer Miriam Bevis, who runs a program for violent offenders within the prison, said the prisoners did not speak about the underwear problem because it was culturally “shameful”.

A Corrections spokesman said the department was unaware of fights between female prisoners over undergarments. “Alice Springs Correctional Centre now has a standard operating procedure for the procurement and issue of undergarments for women,” he said.