The first Healthy Prison Review of the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) has been tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly.
The review found that more work needed to be done to address key issues across all four “pillars” of the Healthy Prison framework – safety; respect and dignity; purposeful activity; and rehabilitation and preparation for release.
ACT Inspector of Correctional Services, Neil McAllister, who led the review, said the report made 73 recommendations for improvements.
Mr McAllister said the review found that high detainee numbers; large numbers of cohorts that don’t mix; and the need to escort detainees were creating difficulties across the AMC facility.
“This is a broader justice sector issue as AMC cannot control the numbers coming in,” Mr McAllister said.
“The ACT government’s Building Communities Not Prisons initiative is a big step in the right direction,” he said.
“While we have seen improvements at the AMC over the last 18 months, some key areas of concern have yet to be addressed.”
He said the accommodation of women in a high security men’s unit remained a “pressing concern”.
“Female detainees also lack equality of opportunity to facilities, programs and services compared to the men,” he said.
Among his recommendations, Mr McAllister asked “that the induction process for women be given urgent attention”.
Mr McAllister said the supply of illicit drugs and mobile phones in the AMC were also major concerns and ongoing priority must be given to effective behaviour management systems to address the issue.
He thanked the detainees, staff and community organisations that provided valuable input for the review and commended the commitment of ACT Corrective Services staff working at the AMC.
Mr McAllister’s 155-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
The next Healthy Prison Review is to be conducted in 2021.
