Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Justice spokesperson
The Custodial Inspectorate has issued another highly critical assessment of the government’s handling of the Corrections system.
The Resources and Systems Inspection Report of Adult Custodial Services in Tasmania 2019 makes 16 damning observations, and an extensive 64 recommendations of necessary improvements.
Almost one in five staff members have active compensation claims, with the report finding a poor management culture for handling workers’ compensation, and staff on compensation being treated unlawfully.
The report also identifies continued poor record-keeping that has previously led to prisoners being released at the incorrect time.
The issues identified in the report would come as no surprise to the Gutwein Government, but the chronic mismanagement of the Corrections system would shock many Tasmanians.
The scale of these dysfunctions is shocking, with many of these issues aired publicly over years and repeatedly dismissed, or denied, by the Corrections Minister.
We have a corrections system that is harming staff, the people in custody, and the wider community through a reduction in safety. It is not changing behaviours or reducing recidivism.
The Gutwein Government needs to properly administer the corrections system using evidence-based contemporary practices, instead of parroting the same centuries old tough-on-crime rhetoric.
The reality is the Liberals are driving up reoffending rates, and this is making our communities and correctional facilities less safe.