Risdon lockdown increase impacting inmate welfare, says Prisoners Legal Service

A recent spate of lockdowns at Risdon Prison was having an inhumane impact on inmates, with the Prisoners Legal Service chair describing the practice as tantamount to “double punishment”.

Risdon Prison. Picture: Chris Kidd

A recent spate of lockdowns at Risdon Prison’s maximum security Tamar Unit was having an inhumane impact on inmates, the Prisoners Legal Service has said, with chair Greg Barns SC describing the practice as tantamount to “double punishment”.

But the union representing correctional officers said lockdowns were an effective tool to keep both staff and prisoners safe, and attributed their increasing use to recent short-staffing at the prison.

Prisoners Legal Service chair, Greg Barns SC. Picture: Elise Kaine

Mr Barns told the Mercury that during November and December, the Tamar Unit was locked down on 22 separate occasions, and another three times in the first week of this month.

He said that an already harsh environment was being made demonstrably worse by further curtailing inmate freedoms.

“Lockdowns are grossly inhumane and even more so when inflicted on prisoners in the inherently cruel Tamar Unit,” he said.

“We have pleaded with unions and governments to end lockdowns.

“It amounts to double punishment for prisoners, as it destroys mental health in a context where 8 out of 10 prisoners in the Tasmanian system have mental illness.”

But the Community and Public Sector Union said its members working in prisons were regularly exposed to a highly dangerous and challenging environment, with ongoing staffing shortages making their task even harder.

CPSU Tasmania General Secretary, Thirza White, said lockdowns were undoubtedly becoming more common at Risdon Prison, particularly in the Tamar Unit which supported prisoners with complex behavioural issues.

CPSU Tasmania general secretary Thirza White.

“There is a general misunderstanding in the community about lockdowns — they are implemented out of necessity to maintain safety for both prisoners and staff, but they make correctional officers’ jobs much harder,” Ms White said.

“Lockdowns increase workload, fatigue and prisoner frustration, which in turn leads to further staffing issues – it’s a vicious cycle that requires intervention from TPS leadership.

“On multiple occasions the CPSU has raised with TPS the issue of understaffing and the urgent need to improve support to get injured Correctional Officers back to work sooner.

“We can’t solve the short-staffing problem at Risdon unless we improve the management of the work health and safety risks and reduce workers’ compensation. Instead, the Department of Justice is stripping funding from the Work Health and Safety unit.

It’s our view that lockdowns will remain an unfortunate necessity until the health and safety needs of workers and prisoners are adequately met.”

A spokesperson for the TPS said the Tamar Unit was used as a short-term placement option for prisoners whose behaviour is unable to be managed in the mainstream units, and had the capacity to accommodate eight inmates.

“Lockdowns are an essential operational tool, and utilised to ensure a safe and secure corrections environment for prisoners, staff and visitors,” the spokesperson said.

“There were 13 days in December 2024 and nine days in November 2024, respectively, when the unit was fully locked down, but these lockdowns may not have impacted the same people given the short-term nature of the unit.”

Originally published as Risdon lockdown increase impacting inmate welfare, says Prisoners Legal Service