Role of G4S prison officers to be expanded by NT Government
The duties of private prison staff have been expanded by the NT Government provoking concerns from United Workers Union members about the privatisation of the corrections system.
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The NT Government has announced another move in the expansion of private prison staff with the duties performed by private security firm G4S to be increased.
It follows after the NT Government signed a six-month contract with private security company G4S in March to help support prison staff by managing Darwin prisoner transfers.
At the moment, G4S prison guards help transfer inmates between prisons and courts to assist police and Department of Corrections staff as they face a 20 per cent jump in prisoner numbers.
The arrangement is one that has been strongly opposed by the United Workers Union (UWU), which represents corrections officers, since the arrangement began in March.
However, the Government announced over the weekend that the G4S role will be expanded to provide a 24/7 service in Darwin and will take on new duties.
These will include private prison staff carrying out prisoner escorts, hospital bedsits and supporting watch house duties.
They will also manage the Darwin Transitional Custody Centre (DTCC) to “ease pressure on watch houses and ensure smoother prisoner transitions”.
Minister for Corrections, Gerard Maley, said it is hoped the move will help free up frontline resources.
“This is about taking pressure off our police and corrections officers so they can focus on what they do best – keeping communities safe,” Minister Maley said.
“By outsourcing these external duties to G4S, we’re ensuring police are on the beat instead of stuck in watch houses, and corrections officers can concentrate on managing facilities securely and effectively.”
Union: ‘We’ve been saying all along, G4S are like a cancer, they will spread’
UWU NT branch secretary, Erina Early, has previously raised concerns about the G4S’ track record and the amendments to the NT Corrections Act in February.
She told ABC News that although G4S guards had been assisting with prison transfers since that time, corrections staff had not seen any improvement to their working conditions.
“It hasn’t made much change to our correctional officers at all because the [prisoner] numbers are increasing,” she said.
“Bringing in G4S may relieve a couple of shifts, but it’s not having the outcome that the government [is] hoping for.”
Ms Early said union members were concerned for “the safety of the prisoners and also safety of the police”.
They also worried that this expansion further gestured to a growing privatisation of the NT’s corrections system.
“They’ve been saying this since it was announced by Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley, that G4S were coming in — as soon as you have them in, it’s like a cancer, they will spread,” she said.
“They have been taking more and more roles.”
G4S will continue to work ‘strictly outside the wire’ said Corrections Commissioner
The Government has said the Darwin Transitional Custody Centre will replace the current Darwin Watch House in the city.
It is believed this will allow corrections staff to return to core roles at Darwin and Berrimah Correctional Centres while G4S takes on hospital bedsit services at Royal Darwin and Palmerston hospitals.
Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said will take on “selected external duties” to relieve officers.
“G4S staff will continue to operate strictly outside the wire, supporting our internal operations by taking on selected external duties that allow our officers to concentrate on the core custodial environment,” Mr Varley said.
“This next phase includes the introduction of a 24/7 roster model, and we are now working closely with G4S to deliver a Northern Territory – based workforce.”
Minister Maley added that the new services should help relieve immediate pressure such as at Palmerston Watch House while extra capacity comes online.
“We know there are pressures at the Palmerston Watch House and we’re continuing to work closely with police, but we won’t leave criminals on the streets,” he said.
“We’re working as quickly as we can to get more beds online to ease that burden.”
Another 238 beds are reportedly expected by mid-August.
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Originally published as Role of G4S prison officers to be expanded by NT Government
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