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WITH staffing consistently an issue and inmate population booming, NSW Prisons are hurtling toward a state of crisis.
A senior prison officer with Goulburn Correctional Centre has told the Post the current system is reaching breaking point.
Last week’s alleged escape of inmate Stephen Jamieson was the tip of the iceberg. As a result of the incident, an independent security review of the prison began on Monday.
On Sunday, senior correctional officer Steve McMahon said morale at the facility was low.
Mr McMahon has spent the last 15 years walking the corridors of the Goulburn Correctional Centre.
He is also the State Executive Chair of the Prison Officers Vocational Branch.
“When something like this happens, the prison officers are disappointed. They don’t ‘bignote’ what they do in the community and when something like this happens it’s quite a solemn thing,” he said.
“There’s apprehension around the process at the moment, while they go through the period of investigation it can be quite daunting.”
The review, conducted by a New Zealand Department of Corrections security expert, will take a close look at the day to day security operations of Goulburn’s maximum security prison. After a week on the ground, recommendations will then be passed on to NSW Corrective Services.
Staffing, and the manning of wall towers, is expected to be an area closely examined.
Mr McMahon confirmed that at the time of the escape, prison towers seven and 10 were unmanned, under direction of a prior review some five years ago.
One of the towers is only manned in night-hours while cameras and detection devices (tested multiple times daily) fill security roles.
“These prison officers are members of this community. Their intentions are to protect the community. Within two days of the incident happening, they would have turned everything upside down. “I know the general manager of the centre took the step immediately to man both those towers on a 24 hour basis.
“Now we are looking at the Government to provide us with ongoing funding so we can continue to man those towers and provide that high level of security for the community.”
Mr McMahon said electronic security alone was “not the answer” for maximum security jails.
“Staffing is always an issue and it’s probably our single most disputed subject with the department… it’s a major contributor to really everything that can possibly go wrong (but) it’s way too early to say whether it was staffing alone (that led to the escape).
“Clearly contributing is the fact that there was a decision taken by the Commissioner to remove two tower posts.
“We’ve long said that we shouldn’t have both towers at the furthest rear wall unmanned. They should be completely manned on a permanent basis. Whether that’s both towers 24/7 or at least one of them will remain to be seen in the review.”
As for what the community thinks? One anonymous user left this comment on the Goulburn Post website over the weekend: “...here’s an idea, give the officers a kick in the bum, man the towers and learn by the experience, don’t let this become a ‘blame someone’ incident, when there are so many variables involved. We can find savings in the budget other than ‘downsizing’ staff, you just need some ‘new’ thinking.”