Facing up to prison woes

TASMANIA Prison Service has seen more than its fair share of dramas – especially recently. It’s not a topic that generally inspires the masses because, simply put, people are put in jail for committing crimes and the broader public has little sympathy for those who do the wrong thing.

But apathy shouldn’t allow for a deterioration of a system.

In July the Mercury reported from a leaked report by the Custodial Inspector which found the state’s prison service suffered from a serious staff bullying problem, rampant nepotism, poor training, skyrocketing overtime and a shocking rate of worker injuries. In his report, Richard Connock made 64 recommendations to fix the mess, noting that many of his recommendations from previous years had not been carried out.

The union called for more funding to support the Liberal government’s law and order agenda, but the deep-rooted cultural issues merit much more consideration than a cash splash.

Tasmania’s prison system and its woes are not unique.

Indeed similar investigations across the country have unearthed similar findings.

In North Queensland, a June report showed a culture of bullying, nepotism and alleged managerial misconduct was evident at Townsville Correctional Centre.

The reality is, they are complex environments that require constant improvements.

We will await with interest to see how the government handles the Custodial Inspector’s recommendations.

Justice and corrections is undoubtedly a tough area to wrangle, so it is encouraging to see what sounds like an early success story at tackling an issue that impacts the lives of too many Australians.

With at least one woman murdered in this country each week, the domestic and family violence crisis is often described as a national epidemic.

Earlier this year we relived the terrifying story of Olga Neubert.

Before her estranged husband murdered her in her car at New Town, she begged both police and lawyers for help.

No one helped her.

In May, Tasmanian mother Ellie Price was found dead in her home in Melbourne. Her former boyfriend, Ricardo Barbaro, has been charged with her murder.

In February, Hannah Clarke and her three children were killed by her estranged husband, Rowan Baxter. The person whose job it was to protect his family instead poured petrol on them and set them alight in their car in a suburban Brisbane street.

Ms Clarke had a civil protection order that her husband breached.

The Tasmanian Government has trialled electronic monitoring of family violence offenders.

Early results show that out of the 52 offenders tagged there was a 70 per cent reduction of assaults, 80 per cent reduction of threats, 89 per cent decrease in allegations of emotional abuse, and 100 per cent decrease in reports of stalking.

The numbers are by no means perfect but it is encouraging to see a new tool to keep victims safe from harm.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call triple-0. For sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling services, call 1800 RESPECT or 1800 737 732 for 24/7 phone services.