The decision of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission on Thursday to allow the Department of Corrective Services to drastically cut conditions of work for court escort staff such as those servicing the 24 hour courts at Albury, Dubbo, Queanbeyan and Port Macquarie will see a decline in community safety says Greens Corrective Services spokesperson Sylvia Hale MLC.
Because fewer escort staff will be available to transport prisoners to the courts, police will need to be removed from the beat in order to guard prisoners held in police cells.
“No matter which way you look at it, it’s the community, prison escort officers and prisoners who are the losers from yesterday’s decision,” said Ms Hale.
“These changes will reduce the pay and conditions of corrective services officers, increase the number of casual staff, reduce security for both staff and prisoners, and may see police officers removed from front line duties to look after prisoners, work previously done by corrective services staff.
“It is outrageous that a Labor Government would be party to reducing the employment conditions of workers in NSW.
“It may allow Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham to boast that he has reduced overtime, but everyone else will be left to pick up the tab.
“This is a false economy.
“Public safety will suffer. In some areas, there will be no weekend transfer of arrested people from police stations to remand centres. This means that, when hotels, clubs or streets get rowdy on Friday or Saturday nights, there will be fewer police available to intervene because they will be needed at the station to guard prisoners.
“Court escort officers will suffer because they are the ones who will have to deal with anxious, angry and tense people held in police cells for long periods. They often have to cope with people who are ill, violent or psychologically disturbed and at risk of self-harm.
“Up until now, one officer has been allocated to every two detainees assessed as being at risk. From now on, one officer will be required to monitor up to four prisoners. This could create significant problems for corrective services officers and other prisoners if at-risk prisoners aren’t closely supervised.
“Corrective Services should be doing everything in its power to reduce deaths in custody. Instead it seems to be creating the conditions for them to increase. This is not the way to go,” said Ms Hale.
Contact: Colin Hesse on 02 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124
Sylvia Hale MLC Ph. 02 9230 3030 Email: sylvia.hale@parliament.nsw.gov.au Postal:
Sylvia Hale MLC, NSW Parliament, Macquarie Street, Sydney, 2000.