Homeless man on ‘watch house’ remand given urine-soaked clothes, corrections officer claims

A Tasmanian corrections officer claims a homeless man temporarily locked up in the “watch house” was given urine-soaked clothes to wear on his release.

A HOMELESS man temporarily locked up in the Launceston Reception Prison “watch house” was given a bag of clothing to wear that had been used to mop up his urine, a corrections officer has claimed.

The worker is embroiled in a stoush with the Department of Justice for workers’ compensation, claiming she suffered a psychiatric injury – an adjustment disorder with anxiety – from bullying after reporting the incident in October 2020.

According to a recently-published Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision, the woman said she was bullied to “unmanageable levels” for a year by certain colleagues for formally reporting the officer for “bad behaviour”.

In her statement, the worker said a young homeless man was admitted to the remand centre after being released from a psychiatric institution and that he was “very drunk and belligerent”.

“He urinated under his door,” the worker claimed.

“I was unable to leave the control room. Consequently, I asked (two colleagues) if, when they did the next round, they could put a towel down outside the inmate’s cell so people did not slip in the urine.”

Police, Fire and Ambulance personnel attend a fire a the Launceston Reception Prison on Cimitiere Street Launceston. Picture: TIM MARTAIN

She said one of the workers said “f … that, I’m going to use his clothes” – to which she protested “don’t do that. That’s not right”.

But the worker said she saw her colleague on camera obtain the inmate’s clothes, mop up the urine with them, then put the clothes back in the bag to be given to the inmate to get dressed into upon his release.

She said the superintendent directed her to formally report the incident, with her colleague stood down pending investigation.

The worker said she became “sick with worry”, feeling “very vulnerable”, losing “all confidence” from the resultant bullying until she was unable to work.

But the Department of Justice said the woman actually suffered her psychiatric injury in 2020 by the act of being directed to lodge a formal complaint.

It said it was not liable to pay her compensation as that had been a “reasonable administrative action”, and also that she failed to lodge her claim within a required six-month period.

Tribunal deputy president Alison Clues said the department had made a reasonably arguable case.

The matter will be decided at a future date.

LGG medical services executive director Peter Renshaw said the Department of Health was committed to continuous improvement and would “carefully consider” the coroner’s report.

A Department of Justice spokesperson said all allegations of employee misconduct were taken seriously, and the matter was “being investigated and ongoing”.

They added the Tasmania Prison Service gave all corrections officers a “comprehensive range of training” to support interactions with prisoners.

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