NT Corrections officers threaten to walk off the job as Alice Springs prisoners are shifted to Darwin

‘Emergency actions’ authorised by the NT Corrections boss has staff threatening to walk off the job – as a number of Red Centre prisoners are set to be shipped to already full Top End facilities. DETAILS.

Alice Springs Correctional Centre. Picture: Gera Kazakov

The Territory’s overcrowded prison system is on the brink of collapse, with staff threatening to walk due to a massive prisoner shift from the Red Centre to already at capacity Top End facilities.

An Alice Springs correctional officer told this masthead a plane has been chartered to move 38 female inmates out of Alice Springs Correctional Centre (ASCC) to Darwin Correctional Centre (DCC) on Sunday.

It is understood by this masthead there are no mattresses and barely enough beds for awaiting them.

The officer said once the inmates arrive at DCC, the centre would be placed into lockdown and staff would threaten to walk on Monday.

The mass prisoner shift is one of a series of six “emergency actions” initiated by Commissioner of Corrections chief executive Matthew Varley in a letter dated October 26, seen by this masthead.

NT Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Other actions include: placing an extra 10 prisoners into Darwin watch house – which inmates recently broke out of in September; sending an additional 20 prisoners in DCC’s sector 10; 20 additional prisoners to ASCC’s regeneration facility; repopulating ASCC’s female hotel block with male prisoners; and moving inmates out of Katherine, Palmerston, and Alice Springs watch houses “accordingly”, the letter states.

The officer said the move would see ASCC over capacity by “20 to 40” inmates.

The facility currently has a capacity of 680, but is currently short about 30 corrections officers a day, this masthead understands.

DCC fares no better, with 28 positions vacant in a single day – which has led to United Workers Union NT secretary Erina Early to call for an industrial action due to unsafe prisoner to officer ratios.

Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley looks out the window where two prisoners escaped from the Darwin CBD watch house. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Ms Early further alleged the “emergency actions” breached the enterprise agreement with staff.

Mr Varley in his letter stated the actions were been undertaken by “Section 19 of the Act, and as a Commissioner’s Direction pursuant to Section 205 of the Act”.

“Due to the significant impacts and extraordinary risks presented by record high and rising prisoner numbers and the excessive number of prisoners held in overflow status in police watch houses, I consider that the current situation represents an emergency to the Department of Corrections, and to the security and good order of all correctional facilities that the Department is operating within, and to offenders in our custody,” Mr Varley wrote.

“The safety of all my officers is critical to me, and we will do all we can to support and protect the safety of our people during this challenge. I have instructed the leadership team to look at all available options to increase staffing levels on duty in the correctional centres so that we can manage the prisoner population.”

United Workers Union NT branch secretary Erina Early in 2022. Picture: Jason Walls

An incident management team will lead the “emergency actions”, the letter states.

The letter provided a glimpse behind the scenes of the Territory’s Corrections department, which was full of burnt out and under experienced staff who are at breaking point, the officer said.

“How much more can officers take? We’ve been putting up with this for four years and more now,” they said.
“Each government have known about this and don nothing about this.”

The officer predicted another riot in the correctional centres would happen “shortly”.

In a statement to this masthead, the Department of Corrections said the move came after Territory prison numbers “reached a record high” of 2,370 on Friday.

“The Department engaged in consultations with the United Workers Union (UWU) regarding urgent proposals to temporarily vary the operating models for both Darwin and Alice Springs Correctional Centres as an emergency response,” the statement said.

However, agreement could not be reached, they said, with the UWU disputing the “emergency actions”.

They said consultations regarding the dispute would continue.

“The first stages of this emergency plan will be implemented this weekend. The Department of Corrections remains committed to maintaining community safety and fulfilling its crucial role in the Territory’s justice system.”