The Greens echo concerns raised in the Custodial Inspector’s Annual Report about low amounts of out of cell time across Tasmanian prisons, and overcrowding in the Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison. The Rockliff Government must take action to improve conditions in Tasmanian prisons.
For the third year in a row, the average out of cell time for people in Tasmanian prisons has decreased – to as low as 2.8 hours. This is likely to continue to mean Tasmanian prisoners are given the least amount of time out of cells in the country.
Keeping people in their cells for most of the day is unacceptable and cruel. It has detrimental impacts on the welfare of people in prison and reduces their ability to rehabilitate.
The increasing numbers of women in prison has create a shortage of accommodation in the Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison. It’s led to double bunking, the use of decommissioned units and temporary housing within the Hobart Reception Prison – in eyeline and hearing of males detained in the prison.
This isn’t the therapeutic or trauma-informed approach to justice that people in correction facilities need. For women, many of whom are victim-survivors of family violence, these circumstances could be deeply traumatising.
The Custodial Inspector’s Annual Report should be a wake-up call for the Rockliff Government. It’s time for the Liberals to abandon their ineffective “tough on crime” agenda and instead implement a therapeutic, restorative justice system which is based on evidence.
