Corrections overcrowding forces prisoners to watch houses and police to act as prison guards
The impact of overcrowding in Territory jails means police officers are called on to assist corrections staff while prisoners are kept in watch houses in Darwin and Alice Springs.
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Prisoners are being kept in watch houses and police have been forced to act as prison guards due to overcrowding in the Territory’s corrections system.
Police confirmed remand prisoners were currently being housed in the Alice Springs Watch House, with officers assisting Northern Territory Correctional Services with staffing “when required”.
In Darwin, police custody facilities at the Mitchell Centre and the Peter McAulay Centre were also housing prisoners.
No police officers were guarding prisoners in the Darwin watch houses.
In a statement, NT Police said use of the Peter McAulay Centre was “a short-term solution to enable NTCS to explore other options for prisoner management”.
No mention was made of how long the Mitchell Centre or Alice Springs Watch House would be used as overflow solutions.
Overcrowding issues have plagued Territory corrections for years, with all correctional facilities operating above their design capacity.
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