Bungles prompt jail release review

PRISONER release dates are being urgently reviewed following a series of administrative stuff ups that resulted in inmates being incorrectly released from jail.

Risdon Prison

PRISONER release dates are being urgently reviewed following a series of administrative stuff-ips that resulted in inmates being incorrectly released from jail.

As reported in the Mercury yesterday, systematic errors have led to inmates being released from Risdon Prison either before or after their sentences expire.

One inmate was kept behind bars for four months after his release date and at least three other prisoners, including domestic violence perpetrators, were accidentally released early.

“The Corrections Minister [Vanessa Goodwin] has directed that an audit be undertaken and that the Tasmania Prison Service immediately task staff to review all release dates and calculations,” a government spokesman said.

“The audit is being undertaken by KPMG and is in progress and the TPS has tasked staff to work on reviewing release information as an urgent priority.”

The Government is also setting up a sentence administration unit to handle release dates.

The Opposition has called on the Government to take responsibility and stop blaming prison staff.

“Ms Goodwin needs to give Tasmanians a clear idea around the timelines for the establishment of this unit and explain if she can give a guarantee that it will help prevent the kinds of mishaps we’ve seen in recent months,” Labor spokeswoman Lara Giddings said.

“The Minister needs to make public the findings of the audit she ordered when these bungles were first exposed several months ago.”

Prisoner Legal Service chairman Greg Barns said inmates incorrectly detained deserved compensation.

“It’s concerning that in the 21st century the Government of Tasmania is unable to ensure that people are not detained one day longer than sanctioned by the law,” he said.

One of the prisoners at the centre of controversy said he was yet to receive an explanation about why he had been released four months after he was meant to get out.

When prison authorities discovered the oversight the man said he was given 10 minutes to pack up and was released without any accommodation or Centrelink payments organised.

“The system really needs to be looked at,” he said.