50-60 NT prisoners could be released early amid pandemic
NT CORRECTIONS Commissioner Scott McNairn is considering a list of 50-60 prisoners to be released early from corrections centres in Darwin and Alice Springs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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NT CORRECTIONS Commissioner Scott McNairn is considering a list of 50-60 prisoners to be released early from corrections centres in Darwin and Alice Springs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement from NT Corrections confirmed a number of prisoners deemed low-risk were being considered for early release at Mr McNairn’s discretion.
“Under the Correctional Services Act, the Commissioner can consider releasing some eligible low risk prisoners early or on administrative home detention using strict assessment criteria,” a NT Corrections spokeswoman said.
“This option has always been available to the Commissioner and continues to be available and is consistent with other jurisdictions.
“No high security or high risk prisoners are eligible for early release.”
The spokeswoman would not disclose how prisoners were distinguished as either low or high risk.
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Mr McNairn told ABC last week corrections staff have drawn up a list of between 50 or 60 inmates who could be considered for early release.
NT Attorney-General Natasha Fyles would not confirm this number on Thursday, but said there was a contingency plan in place in case of a coronavirus outbreak in one of the Territory’s prisons – where around 1700 people are currently housed.
“You won’t see prisoners just released because of coronavirus. They are in a bubble within a bubble, so to speak,” Ms Fyles said.
“If we have an outbreak within our correctional facilities we have a plan for that.”
Pressure has been mounting for some indigenous prisoners – who make up the majority of inmates in NT prisons – to be released in response to the pandemic.
The Federal Health Department lists people in detention and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as being some of the groups considered most at risk from serious infection.
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