Minister, I wanted to talk to you about the National Preventative Mechanism, which does impact on your portfolio responsibilities obviously
Yesterday, the Custodial Inspector released the Inhumane Treatment in Dry Cells Review. It is the first report of its kind in the nation and it is devastating reading.
It has long been recognised that Ashley Youth Detention Centre is an unsafe place for young Tasmanians. Young people have been abused and their rights have been repeatedly violated.
Today, the Custodial Inspector will table the inhumane treatment in dry cells review report, which confirms that people held in dry cells have been treated inhumanely in Tasmanian prisons.
We supported it because home detention orders provide a cheaper, safe and more therapeutic rehabilitative alternative than prison.
This is not a national trend; this is a Tasmanian problem. It's about your Government's approach.
I've got a question on the cost pressures Budget item, which is TPS cost pressures of $10 million. I note that it's just for one year.
Can you please tell me what procedures you have in place? Is testing freely available for inmates?
I understand in 2022 there were 1500 people released from full time custody.
I have a recommendation from 2018, from the Custodial Inspector, who noted that the prisoner pay scale at that point had not changed for 11 years.