Union representing correctional officers says there’s major concerns about theirs and prisoners’ safety

THE union representing correctional officers says they are being placed in a “very vulnerable position” at Darwin Correctional Centre nine months after a mass prisoner escape

• EXCLUSIVE: Risk assessment warned prisoners could ‘escape’ months before mass breakout

THE union representing correctional officers says they are being placed in a “very vulnerable position” at Darwin Correctional Centre (DCC) nine months after a mass prisoner escape caused more than $20m in damage.

United Workers Union NT spokeswoman Erina Early said the “lives of our officers and prisoners” were at risk due to an alleged lack of safety improvements at Sector 6, where more than 20 prisoners escaped from their cells and climbed onto the roofs of multiple buildings in May 2020.

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“Prior to last year’s riots officers were concerned about their safety and prisoners safety,” she said.

“After the riots not enough has been done, Band-Aid solutions only. We have no access to the reviews that we commissioned which is concerning.

“Our officers are being placed in a very vulnerable position and there are questions of the security of the prison.”

Yesterday, the NT News revealed an independent risk assessment warned inmates could escape from their cells and climb onto the roofs of the DCC.

The risk assessment by Outback Safety, dated November 9 2019, identified 31 concerns at the facility, with Risks 13 and 14 about the “installation of new fencing”.

THE union representing correctional officers says they are being placed in a “very vulnerable position” at Darwin Correctional Centre nine months after a mass prisoner escape.

The preliminary risk assessment of Risk 13 was it “created climbing points onto roof”.

The preliminary assessment of Risk 14 was there were “gaps allowing prisoners to climb through and escape”.

A source in the prison system told the NT News staff were currently on edge about the possibility of another riot.

Opposition attorney-general and justice spokesman Steve Edgington criticised the Gunner government’s “inaction” following the release of the risk assessment.

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“This riot was completely avoidable. Corrections was basically handed a blue print of gaps in security, which government chose to ignore,” he said.

“The risk assessment, which was requested by Darwin Correctional Centre and the NT Prison Officers Association, was a masterplan of how to break out – and that’s exactly what those prisoners did.”

The Department of the Attorney-General and Justice could not respond to the NT News by deadline.

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