NT Government could be ‘complicit’ in a death in custody if overcrowding, heat stress not addressed, experts warn

Experts warn overcrowding, over heating and understaffing in a Territory prison could end in a death in custody. Read how they suggest to improve the ‘Taliban’-like conditions.

Alice Springs Correctional Centre operations have been compared to the Taliban’s treatment of prisoners, as experts warn overcrowding, heatwaves, and assaults could end in a death in custody.

The prisons watchdog, medical experts, and staff have all criticised operations inside Alice Springs prison, with overcrowding, understaffing and heat stress alleged to be undermining the safety of prisoners and workers alike.

The Corrections Department confirmed there were 644 prisoners in Alice Springs Correctional Centre on Monday December 19, 168 more than what the centre was designed to hold.

National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health public health physician Simon Quilty warned overcrowding and heat stress was putting human lives at risk.

Dr Quilty said when threshold temperatures reached 41 degrees there was a real risk of death inside the poorly ventilated, overcrowded, brick cells.

“Human bodies emit heat themselves,” he said.

“And so the more crowded the space, the more vital it is to both ventilate it, and in very hot weather conditions air condition it.

“If there’s three or four people to such a small space, then it is incredibly dangerous.

“We’re going to start seeing people die in those conditions.”

A heatwave health warning was issued this month, with the Bureau of Meteorology confirming Alice Springs temperatures exceeded 41 degrees four times in a single week.

The NT Ombudsman has repeatedly warned the government to install air conditioning in the Central Australian prison, but Corrections said there was no budget allocation for the upgrades.

Dr Simon Quilty. Picture: Supplied

Dr Quilty said the government could be “complicit” in another death in custody from their inaction.

“It’s exactly the same as if a prison was being flooded, and people were going to drown in their cells,” he said.

“It would be willingly complicit to subject incarcerated people to temperatures that could potentially kill them.

“If the government knows that these cells are going to become dangerously hot, and people die as a result, then we are living in a country that is no better than Afghanistan,” Dr Quilty said.

“That is the way that the Taliban treat their prisoners.

“This is an outrage.”

The main entrance to the Alice Springs Correctional Centre.

The Corrections Department said it had a range of heat reduction measures, including allowing Alice Springs prisoners to drag their mattresses outside in an extreme measure to escape crowded, sweltering cells.

“Prisoners in Alice Springs Correctional Centre can take their mattresses to outside areas within the confines of their accommodation block,” a spokesman said.

Corrections said other heat reduction measures included delivering ice to prison areas three times a day, handing out desk fans to cells and pedestal fans to dormitories, and increased access to showers.

NT Prisoner population monthly daily averages 2017-2022, provided by the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice.

A spokesman said evening lockdown hours could be pushed an hour later to 7pm.

Alice Springs correctional staff have told the United Workers Union that after years of warnings, nothing had been done to address the heat or overcrowding risks.

“We had this overcrowding issue since 2012 and what has the management done to resolve this? Just increase or put more prisoners in the dorms each time,” one worker wrote in a damning union survey.

“This heat or hot weather issue has been there for years and what has been done so far? Just paint few G block walls and putting few holes in the Perspex,” another said.

“We need people who think for the safety and security of officers — or are we waiting for prisoners to riot and then we act?”

The Ombudsman’s annual report said the air conditioning issue was putting staff at risk, making prisoners “ hot, tired and aggravated from sleepless nights”.

A UWU survey of 101 correctional officers found half of all Alice Springs prison workers have been assaulted while on the job.

The union found 96 per cent of staff did not feel safe at work, with stories of workers being hit with fans, king hit, stabbed and kicked.

More than 90 per cent of Alice Springs officers said they had been exposed to violent or abusive behaviour, with 49 per cent reporting they had been personally assaulted at work.

“(I was) stabbed in the head. Left to fend for myself after the incident. Extremely poor response from management,” one worker told the union.

The UWU said the prison was being run at times with half its minimum staffing requirements, with staff saying they were doing the work of up to four officers.

A Corrections spokesman said the department “prioritises staff safety and wellbeing”.

“All reported incidents are taken seriously and responded to appropriately,” he said.

Yet workers told the UWU that management responses were lacklustre, with 84 per cent rating their reaction to violent incidents as poor or very poor.

The Justice Department annual report said there were more than 180 work health safety reports from Corrections in 2021-22, with prison staff making up 70 per cent of open workers compensation claims within the Department.

The survey found 83 per cent of workers would support a vote of no confidence in the Alice Springs prison executive, with 89 per cent of workers saying they had lost their trust and faith in management.

“The place is in crisis, staff are leaving in droves,” one worker said.

The Department said it was aware of the understaffing rates across Territory prisons.

“We acknowledge there is a staff shortage in custodial operations and we are working hard to recruit more officers to meet attrition rates and rising demand pressures,” a spokesman said.

The Department said the latest November staffing figures showed there were 174 staff for Alice Springs, and 385 for Darwin.

A spokesman said in 2022 Corrections had recruited and trained 24 new prison workers for Alice Springs and 83 for Darwin in 2022.

Attorney-General Chansey Paech. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

He said over a four-year improvement program, Corrections would develop an employee wellbeing plan, and a work health and safety framework.

Attorney-General Chansey Paech confirmed he met with corrections staff on Saturday, December 17.

“I am absolutely committed to supporting our valued Correctional Officers and the Corrections Executive to undertake important reform work,” Mr Paech said.

“I look forward to getting on with the necessary reform to achieve a sustainable Correctional Services future that ensures the safety and welfare of our communities, our Corrections staff, and people in the Corrections system.”

Overcrowding is not limited to Alice Springs, with Corrections confirming that the Darwin Correctional Centre had 137 more prisoners than it was designed to hold on December 19, with 1185 prisoners.