Prisons let seven inmates walk free by accident

“Did the incorrect releases put community safety at risk?”Tasmania’s troubled prisons system has a problem with letting people out too early — and too late. FULL EXCLUSIVE REPORT >>

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SEVEN prisoners have been mistakenly allowed to walk free from Tasmanian jails in the last four years, government figures show.

And another four have been kept in prison despite having finished their sentences.

But the information released in response to questions asked by Labor during budget estimates did not reveal what crimes the prisoners had committed, how early they were released or whether they were returned to prison.

Shadow Attorney-General Ella Haddad said the revelations were another confirmation that the government was bungling its handling of corrections.

Risdon Prison . Picture: Zak Simmonds

“The Gutwein Liberal government and Corrections Minister Elise Archer owe Tasmanians an honest explanation about why a worrying number of inmates at Risdon Prison were allowed to walk out of the gates before their sentences expired while others were kept locked up when they were entitled to be released,” she said.

Ms Haddad said five prisoners were incorrectly released early last year, one the year before and an additional prisoner had been allowed to leave Risdon before the expiry of sentence just this year.

“Ms Archer has ultimate responsibility for Tasmania’s prisons – including the processes around releasing prisoners – and she needs to own up to how this could possibly happen,” Ms Haddad said.

“She needs to tell Tasmanians how these mistakes occurred and why the community’s safety was potentially put at risk.

“How can these errors keep occurring under this Minister’s watch?

“Did the incorrect releases put community safety at risk?

“At what stage after each of these seven incorrect releases did the alarm bell ring?

Tasmania’s prison system has a long history of releasing prisoners by mistake.

Seven inmates by mistake between 2014 and 2016.

Ms Haddad was not impressed.

“It’s simply unacceptable that this is able to happen time and again and Ms Archer is not acting on really worrying mistakes,” she said.

“Part of the problem, Ms Archer will tell Tasmanians, is that prison releases are still handled with an antiquated paper-based system.

“The government has announced a transition to what is hoped will be a more efficient system known as Justice Connect, but she needs to inform Tasmanians when it will be implemented and can she provide a guarantee it will prevent further bungles into the future.”

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