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Corrective Services out of control

Thursday 04 March 2010

In the wake of further revelations about the death in a prison transport van of Mark Holcroft in August last year (ABC TV, Lateline, 02/03/10), Greens MP Sylvia Hale has again criticised the NSW Government for its failure to make the operations of the Department of Corrective Services more open and transparent.

“When I first questioned then Corrective Services Minister John Robertson on the death of Mr Holcroft in Parliament last November, the Minister refused to comment or offer any indication that Corrective Services was reviewing its policies as a result of Mr Holcroft’s appalling death,’ said Ms Hale, Greens MLC and spokesperson for Corrective Services. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20091124028

“The Minister also brushed aside detailed questions I asked about the incident. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/18101dc36b638302ca257146007ee41a/3b989d854e1307b0ca25766a002b19eb?OpenDocument A full six months after Mr Holcroft’s death, the position of the Department and the new Minister is unchanged.

“It is simply not good enough to wait for the Coroner’s report when significant facts about the incident are already known.

“Corrective Services officers have told me that the Department has removed its prisoner transport policy from the staff intranet. So, rather than giving greater direction and support to officers engaged in this important responsible task, CS management appears to be taking an even more cavalier approach to the health and safety of prisoners.

“Minister Costa must step in and direct the Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham to urgently review all procedures relating to the transport of prisoners in NSW.

“If, as the former Minister Robertson asserted last year that ‘on any given day we have the equivalent of one full jail of inmates on the road’, it is imperative that the Government and the Department move urgently to ensure this appalling situation is not repeated.

“It is not good enough to hide behind a Coroner’s report that has yet to be written and do nothing. The Government and the Department are clearly doing nothing on this issue and playing on public perceptions that somehow prisoners deserve this.

“Mr Holcroft had done the wrong thing, but he was sentenced to seven months, not death.

“This shocking incident is only the most recent in a spate of entirely avoidable deaths of inmates in New South Wales’ prisons in recent years.

“Aboriginal woman Veronica Baxter died when in remand in the male section at Silverwater prison in March last year. Neither the Government nor the Department has indicated that any review of procedures has been undertaken to ensure that Departmental guidelines that should have protected Ms Baxter are reviewed. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090901054

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090617024

“It’s time Corrective Services management and Commissioner Ron Woodham are held accountable for the welfare of prisoners under their control,” said Ms Hale.

Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124

The following questions by Sylvia Hale, Greens MP and spokesperson for Corrective Services were put to former Minister for Corrective Services Mr John Robertson last year.

Links are to the Parliamentary website and contain Mr Robertson’s answers.

Question without notice on the death of Mark Holcroft

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20091124028

Question without notice on prison transport

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20091029030

Questions on notice about the death of Mark Holcroft

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/18101dc36b638302ca257146007ee41a/3b989d854e1307b0ca25766a002b19eb?OpenDocument

Question without notice on the death in custody of Veronnica Baxter

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090617024

Follow up question on the death of Veronnica Baxter

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090901054

Sylvia Hale media release on death of Mark Holcroft from November 2010