Forgetful boss failed to recall vital visits

INTERNAL police documents reveal police had longstanding concerns about both Trey Mawson and Josiah Binsaris escaping from custody.

As the political fallout over the duo’s escape from Don Dale earlier this month continues, the Sunday Territorian has been shown documents detailing Mawson and Binsaris were the subject of “may escape custody” alerts by NT Police.

The two 17-year-olds jumped the fence at Don Dale detention centre earlier this month, sparking an urgent review of security at the beleaguered facility.

Senior police sources at the time told the Sunday Territorian they were “seething” over the escape, which resulted in a costly, four-day police manhunt across the Territory.

A review into security at the centre, released on Friday, revealed the duo were both housed in low security at the time of the escape, despite being classified as medium security detainees.

The police documents highlight major discrepancy between how police and Territory Families, the agency that runs Don Dale, assess escape risks.

The police alerts are used regularly to make operational decisions during patrols.

The escape has had political and professional fallout with former Don Dale superintendent Victor Williams shuffled sideways into a job with Corrections.

A police source said the alerts highlighted a “more rigorous” approach to security by police than Territory Families.

The source also said many police had more confidence in the ability of the Corrections Commission to run Don Dale, as it had under the CLP.

The review into security says: “The Department (of Territory Families) has a key interest in working cooperatively with NT Police.”

Among the review’s recommendations are more regular training exercises involving NT Police.

The review also recommended police be consulted on a further review of the departmental directive dealing with escape responses.

“The (escape response) directive, however, needs reviewing particularly to improve incident response and co-operation with NT Police,” the review says.

Detention centre staff notified police “within minutes” of noticing Mawson and Binsaris’s escape, “albeit approximately 45 minutes after it occurred”.

The report says Binsaris was placed in low security, in part, because of “previous escapes having been historical”.

But the police source told the Sunday Territorian he and many of his colleagues thought Binsaris in particular should have been in high security, given at least eight escape attempts.

The current, “new” Don Dale – in a refurbished wing of the old Berrimah Prison – is due to be replaced in coming years at an unknown cost, perhaps as high as $150 million. THE head of the Territory’s youth justice system confirmed she visited the Don Dale detention centre four times in the fortnight before two dangerous teen criminals escaped.

Territory Families deputy chief executive Jeanette Kerr said she had made the visits despite a day earlier telling the media she had not been there at all during that period.

On Friday Ms Kerr had been questioned about her knowledge of security failings at the centre detailed in a report into the escape of detainees Josiah Binsaris and Trey Mawson on April 5.

Those failings included eight security cameras near the perimeter fence that were not working, head-high grass between the outer perimeter fences that allowed detainees to hide, and a t-shirt covering razor wire from a previous escape on March 21 that stood out “like a beacon” to potential escapees. At a press conference on Friday Ms Kerr said she had not visited Don Dale in the two weeks before Binsaris and Mawson escaped and had not noticed the long grass.

She was asked again if she had visited after the March 21 escape when the t-shirt was left on the razor wire but again said she had not been there.

“In hindsight I probably should have,” she said.

But after the press conference Territory Families chief executive Ken Davies reminded Ms Kerr she had in fact visited after the March 21 escape.

In response to further questions yesterday Ms Kerr confirmed she had actually visited Don Dale four times between the March 21 escape and the breakout on April 5.

Don Dale Superintendent Victor Williams was sacked from his job in youth detention by Ms Kerr and Mr Davies over the April 5 breakout after wrongly classifying Binsaris and Mawson as low security.

Mr Williams has been transferred to adult corrections and is now on leave.

P12: Opinion

“The (escape response) needs reviewing”