Varley tips police involvement if corrections staff walk off the job

Corrections reforms continue as unions welcome “positive” developments.

Northern Territory prisoner numbers remain at near record levels, with 2363 detainees in custody on Thursday afternoon.

Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said the inmates were detained at the Territory’s two main prisons and work camps as well as at Palmerston and Darwin watch houses.

The NT News understands Thursday’s prisoner numbers were 12 below the all-time record of 2375 prisoners, which was set last Friday.

Mr Varley said through prisoner transfers, the number of inmates in Alice Springs watch house had dropped from more than 40 to three in the past week, with 63 prisoners stuck in Palmerston watch house.

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

As well, Mr Varley said there had been up to 130 movements of prisoners around the Alice Springs prison system in recent days, including relocating male prisoners in Alice Springs to the female unit and moving the female prisoners to Darwin.

Mr Varley praised corrections employees and said the agency would continue to work with the United Workers Union to ease tensions caused by fast-tracking the government’s prison reforms.

“My thanks go to the staff to make that work,” he said.

“To date we have no information at the moment to suggest that we’re in imminent phases of staff industrial action.

“I’m very pleased to say that our consultations and our work with unions have continued over the last few days and our senior people have been meeting with various delegates both locally and across the Territory.

Holtze juvenile detention centre

“We’ve also been meeting with our health and safety officers inside the prisons and we’ve been working through local solutions to assure staff that our safety for them and their priority is top of mind.”

United Workers Union NT secretary Erina Early acknowledged talks over recent days had been positive.

“Union delegates are continuing positive talks with Darwin and Alice Springs general managers,” she said.

“These meetings are ensuring officer safety behind the wire.

“Officers are still seriously concerned about their safety and the union is advising members to report unsafe practices while at work and if members genuinely fear for their safety do not come to work.”

Mr Varley said in the event of a walk-off by corrections staff, the affected prison would be locked down.

“A walk-off means an entire lockdown of a facility and we focus on the basics,” he said.

“We focus on safety, security, meals and medication and health emergencies, but it means an absolute restriction on the movement in that facility.

“The last thing I want to do is put my work onto the police, so I don’t think it’s going to come to that but if police assistance is needed, I’m sure they’d respond to an emergency.”

Originally published as Varley tips police involvement if corrections staff walk off the job