Western Australia
Report on Conditions at Roebourne Released
The WA prison watchdog has released its report on inspections of Roebourne Regional Prison, focusing on the impact of overcrowding and understaffing, and difficulties in accessing healthcare.
The Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services (OICS) report identified a “challenging regional environment”, with workforce problems, poor infrastructure and pressures on delivering day-to-day services.
The inspections found that cells at the prison had been changed to allow more people to be held in them.
The OICS also found that many people were sleeping on mattresses on the floors of cells.
The report found significant issues in accessing a psychiatrist, even via telehealth.
It also said that women who are incarcerated at the prison are a “disadvantaged minority”.
Victoria
Coronial Hearing Held Into Death of Tarsha Golightly
A directions hearing for the coronial inquest into the death of an 18-year-old at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre has been held.
Tarsha Golightly died at the women’s prison in late July.
Golightly was on remand and died just five days after being moved from a youth detention centre.
The inquest into her death will focus on her time on remand, whether she made an application for bail, the conditions of her detention at the youth facility, the health and support services offered to her and why she was transferred to the adult prison.
It will also look at whether she was subjected to lockdowns at the prison before her death.
New South Wales
Report Looks at Transfer of Health Services at Parklea
The NSW Inspector of Custodial Services has looked at the transfer of health services at Parklea Correctional Centre from the private operator to Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network.
The operation of the prison returned to public hands at the start of September.
The investigation found that the main healthcare clinic at the prison was “unsuitable”, and was recently described at a coronial inquest as “filthy and putrid”.
This clinic looks after the most acute and unwell patients at the prison, but the inspector found that it does not provide safe or hygienic accommodation.
It also found that access to mental health services at Parklea is still a “significant clinical risk”.
ACT
First Nations Teenager Wrongly Arrested at Gunpoint
A 17-year-old First Nations boy was wrongly arrested at gunpoint on a bus, with the Commonwealth Ombudsman finding he was also searched after police realised they had made a mistake, potentially in breach of the law.
The Ombudsman released a report on ACT Policing’s mistaken arrest of the First Nations teenager, known as Jay, in late August.
Jay had got on a bus and sat at the back, before the bus was stopped by police.
Police officers boarded the bus with their guns drawn and told Jay to get off. He was then brought to the ground, handcuffed and arrested.
The Ombudsman found that 90 seconds later, police realised that they had the wrong person.
Despite this, the police officers still searched Jay, something the Ombudsman found was “inappropriate as well as seemingly contrary to law”.
After releasing Jay, police did not ask for his name, confirm his age or ask for details to contact a family member.
New South Wales
Report Looks at Transfer of Health Services at Parklea
The NSW Inspector of Custodial Services has looked at the transfer of health services at Parklea Correctional Centre from the private operator to Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network.
The operation of the prison returned to public hands at the start of September.
The investigation found that the main healthcare clinic at the prison was “unsuitable”, and was recently described at a coronial inquest as “filthy and putrid”.
This clinic looks after the most acute and unwell patients at the prison, but the inspector found that it does not provide safe or hygienic accommodation.
It also found that access to mental health services at Parklea is still a “significant clinical risk”.
ACT
First Nations Teenager Wrongly Arrested at Gunpoint
A 17-year-old First Nations boy was wrongly arrested at gunpoint on a bus, with the Commonwealth Ombudsman finding he was also searched after police realised they had made a mistake, potentially in breach of the law.
The Ombudsman released a report on ACT Policing’s mistaken arrest of the First Nations teenager, known as Jay, in late August.
Jay had got on a bus and sat at the back, before the bus was stopped by police.
Police officers boarded the bus with their guns drawn and told Jay to get off. He was then brought to the ground, handcuffed and arrested.
The Ombudsman found that 90 seconds later, police realised that they had the wrong person.
Despite this, the police officers still searched Jay, something the Ombudsman found was “inappropriate as well as seemingly contrary to law”.
After releasing Jay, police did not ask for his name, confirm his age or ask for details to contact a family member.
