5 days ago
Inside a Victorian prison where an inmate recorded seven suicide attempts in four weeks
A former prisoner says she documented seven suicide attempts in just four weeks inside Victoria's maximum security women's prison, amid a wave of lockdowns triggered by staff shortages.
Warning: This story contains references to self-harm and suicide attempts.
Kelly Flanagan was released on parole from Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in late March, she had been incarcerated for 42 months after being found guilty of armed robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment.
She described her crimes as a "drug deal gone wrong".
Since July last year, the prison faced unprecedented rolling lockdowns disrupting legal, health and welfare services, as well as cutting off visits and phone calls.
Lockdowns are usually reserved for emergencies like riots or other security breaches. However, at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, they've been routinely implemented due to a lack of staff.
With each prisoner sealed in a small individual cell, Ms Flanagan likened the conditions to solitary confinement.
She says she and her fellow prisoners were locked away with no interaction or support or sometimes even meals for days and nights on end.
"You'd normally get unlocked at 8:30 in the morning, they would count everyone … and then the next thing you know, you're not getting let out. So you're required to stay in your cell," she told 7.30.
Her diary documents a suicide attempt by a fellow inmate on March 13, the attending nurse said the inmate had slashed her own throat and wrists. Just two days later, another attempt was recorded in her documents.
Ms Flanagan wrote notes about five further attempts involving Indigenous women in a separate unit.
"This is what happens when you put us in a space with no connection," she told 7.30.
Two years before Waradjari woman Ms Flanagan was incarcerated, another Indigenous woman, Veronica Nelson, died in custody at the same prison. An inquest into her death prompted major reforms, but Ms Flanagan says she fears the widespread lockdowns could lead to another death in custody.
"Enough is enough. How many more people need to die for someone to listen, for someone to take accountability?" Ms Flanagan asked.
"I feel like I owe it to the other women to give them a voice."
The Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) told 7.30 in a statement "lockdowns are sometimes required to ensure the safety of staff and prisoners".
Confidential government correspondence obtained by 7.30 reveals there have been at least 106 lockdowns at the prison since July last year.
One letter, signed by the Department of Justice and Community Safety's acting secretary, Ryan Phillips, insists meals and legal visits have continued as usual and denies any rise in self-harm incidents.
It also states no unit was locked down for more than one consecutive day.
However, a log of legal and other services also obtained by 7.30 contradicts these assurances.
On February 18, a 43-hour lockdown was recorded. 'No access out of cell', the entry states.
On November 8 and 11, 'no dinner' is catalogued. Former prisoner Kelly Flanagan also noted 'no dinner' in her diary on those days.
The same activity log documents seven missed legal appointments and the cancellation of 28 housing-related appointments, a critical requirement for prisoners nearing release. Without secured housing, inmates cannot be paroled.
Adriana Mackay from the support service Flat Out says multiple women they've supported were held in prison months beyond their release dates because lockdowns prevented them from attending key housing appointments.
"Housing offers will be rescinded and taken off the table, and we're left really scrambling, trying to advocate for the housing offer to remain whilst there is an uncertainty," Ms Mackay said.
She recalls supporting Kelly Flanagan while she was still inside, noting Ms Flanagan missed most of her appointments due to lockdowns and remained in custody months past her release date.
A number of support services, including Flat Out, have raised concerns about the impact of the lockdowns, but Ms Mackay says government officials continue to dismiss them.
"What we're seeing on the ground versus what's being told to us … they don't match up," Ms Mackay.
"We're just all at a loss."
A spokesperson for the DJCS told 7.30 prisoners "continue to have their healthcare needs met if a lockdown occurs and arrangements are also made to ensure access to legal services and rehabilitation".
Earlier this month, more than 1,000 prison officers cast a no-confidence vote in the state's Corrections Commissioner Larissa Strong.
The CPSU, which conducted the vote, cited soaring violence, a string of assaults against staff across the prison system and chronic staff shortages, problems expected to get even worse under the state's tougher bail laws, which were introduced in March and are likely to increase the prison population.
To address this, the Victorian government announced a $727 million cash injection, which will go towards securing 1,000 more prison beds.
The government has also launched an aggressive recruitment drive for prison guards, which includes an $8,000 sign-on sweetener for recruits.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said more than 640 new prison officers have already signed on.
However, the state's Shadow Corrections Minister David Southwick said the new measures are not enough to transform what he calls a system in crisis.
"It's just crazy, the fact that this government has allowed it to get this bad," Mr Southwick said.
He says prison guards have been contacting him directly, expressing their unwillingness to turn up to work due to safety concerns and a lack of support from management.
"Four staff were injured yesterday due to non-compliant prisoners," one text read.
"Two more of my colleagues have been assaulted. One sustained a punch to the face, and the other was spat on." another read.
He says some guards are now refusing to show up for work, while others are quitting the service altogether, worsening staff shortages and creating further lockdowns.
"It's just a vicious cycle," Mr Southwick said.
The Minister for Corrections Enver Erdogan told 7.30 in a statement he has asked the Commissioner to review "how handcuffs and other measures are used to make sure staff safety is put first."
"We are continuing to recruit hundreds of new corrections staff … with new recruits starting at DPFC (Dame Phyllis Frost Centre) soon."
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