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SBS Australia
6 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
'Officially out of control': NT Police union warns of serious risk in overcrowded police watch house
Advocates believes a death in custody is imminent under the current conditions inside Northern Territory watch houses. Amongst other instances of overcrowding, Palmerston police watch house is currently being used to house an overflow of more than 70 correctional prisoners. NT Coordinator for the Justice Reform Initiative, Rocket Bretherton, says she fears for those currently caught up in the territory's justice system. "There is no privacy, no showers ... 10 to 15 people in a cell, sharing mattresses on the floor," the Noongar woman told NITV. "I've heard stories of [people] not being able to get life saving medication. "It's only a matter of time." Rocket Bretherton has deep subject matter expertise as a consequence of her own experience in the NT justice system and has been working since 2019 to raise public awareness of the failings of the justice system. Source: Emma Kellaway For years Ms Bretherton has campaigned and advocated for justice reform in the Northern Territory. Recounting stories of people recently released from the Palmerston Police Watch House, 20 kilometers southeast of Darwin, Ms Bretherton said the conditions were "disgusting". "Men can see straight over to the women. There is no privacy." "I've been told [there is] period-stained sheets just wrapped up in the corner. "That's disgusting, we need to be doing better." Police union calls out 'crisis point' It comes as the Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) President, Nathan Finn, said the situation is putting police officers, prisoners, and the broader community at unacceptable risk. 'This is officially out of control," Mr Finn said in a statement. "The CLP Government has made repeated promises to stop using police facilities for correctional purposes, yet the Palmerston Watch House is now overflowing." 'It's not a matter of if, but when a serious custody incident occurs.' Mr Finn said the Palmerston Police Watch House has reached a "crisis point", with 92 detainees recorded in custody on Monday, including 76 correctional prisoners. The NTPA is calling on the NT Government to urgently invest in appropriate correctional infrastructure and stop relying on police watch houses as overflow prisons. 'If immediate action isn't taken, we're gravely concerned that someone - be it a police officer, a prisoner, or a member of the public, is going to be seriously injured or worse,' Mr Finn said. Since coming to power in August last year, the NT Country Liberal Party Government has enacted a string of "tough-on-crime" policies, including the tightening of bail laws. On Wednesday there were a total 2842 people incarcerated across the Northern Territory, an increase of more than 600 prisoners since the CLP came to power. That includes a record number of inmates not yet convicted, with 49 per cent of those on remand awaiting sentencing. 88 per cent of those incarcerated in the NT are Indigenous. 'No alternative' in Government response In a statement Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Corrections, Gerard Maley, told NITV there is "no alternative" and the solution to overcrowding is for "individuals to stop breaking the law". "Police will continue arresting those who break the law, and corrections will continue expanding capacity to ensure those who are remanded or sentenced have a bed." The NT Government have created more than 500 new beds at Darwin and Alice Springs corrections facilities since taking office, with a further 238 beds expected to be added by August. "Whilst government can strengthen laws, adequately resource police and expand corrections capacity this needs to be matched with personal responsibility: individuals need to stop breaking the law," Mr Maley said in a statement. Rocket Bretherton urged the NT Government to "do better". "If we want people to stop the offending behaviour, we need to look at the root causes of the behaviour," Ms Bretherton said. "If we don't do that then there will be no change."
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- The Guardian
New data reveals increase in staggering death toll from known hanging points in Australian jails
The shocking death toll from known ligature points in Australian prisons has risen to 64, new documents reveal. In June, a Guardian Australia investigation revealed that 57 inmates across 19 correctional facilities had died using hanging points that prison authorities and state governments knew about but failed to remove. In the worst example, a set of exposed bars in cells at Brisbane's Arthur Gorrie correctional centre were used in 10 hanging deaths across almost two decades, despite early, clear warnings by coroners that they should be removed or covered with mesh. The Guardian's five-month investigation of 248 hanging deaths prompted outrage from families of the dead, justice reform experts, Indigenous leaders and the federal government. Guardian Australia has spent five months investigating the deadly toll of Australia's inaction to remove hanging points from its jails, a key recommendation of the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. The main finding – that 57 inmates died using known ligature points that had not been removed – was made possible by an exhaustive examination of coronial records relating to 248 hanging deaths spanning more than 20 years. Reporters combed through large volumes of coronial records looking for instances where a hanging point had been used repeatedly in the same jail. They counted any death that occurred after prison authorities were made aware of that particular hanging point. Warnings were made via a prior suicide or suicide attempt, advice from their own staff or recommendations from coroners and other independent bodies. Guardian Australia also logged how many of the 57 inmates were deemed at risk of self-harm or had attempted suicide before they were sent into cells with known hanging points. In adherence with best practice in reporting on this topic, Guardian Australia has avoided detailed descriptions of suicide. In some instances, so that the full ramifications of coronial recommendations can be understood, we have made the decision to identify types and locations of ligature points. We have done this only in instances where we feel the public interest in this information being available to readers is high. The federal attorney general, Michelle Rowland, said the ongoing death toll from known hanging points was unacceptable and 'deeply concerning', and pledged to take up the issue with her state counterparts. The minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, urged the states and territories, who have responsibility for correctional facilities, to act. But records since released to the Guardian by coroners in Victoria and New South Wales have exposed yet more deaths from known ligature points, increasing the death toll. In New South Wales, new information provided by the coroner shows a further three hangings from two commonly used hanging points at Long Bay prison complex – window bars and window grilles in cells. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Those hanging points have been used in suicides for decades. Some have been removed in that time but not all. Guardian Australia has now identified 10 hanging deaths from those two hanging points between 1995 and 2017. A corrective services NSW spokesperson said the two hanging points in question have now been addressed in 'several wings at Long Bay' by the installation of mesh screens. 'This continues the extensive work that has already been undertaken across several facilities as part of our coordinated statewide infrastructure program,' the spokesperson said. 'The removal of obvious ligature points is ongoing, and work is prioritised based on risk assessment.' In addition, between October 1997 and March 1998, four men died using the same hanging point in their cell in Melbourne's Port Phillip Prison – a point that prison management had been warned about before the facility opened in September 1997. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion In the findings, made in 2000, the coroner said there were 'significant problems' at Port Phillip Prison, including inexperienced staff, training and cell design. The coroner noted that both the private operator, then known as Group 4 Correction Services, and the minister for corrections had been warned about the dangers of hanging points. A legal group that visited the prison in July 1997 before it opened raised concerns with management about the hanging points later used by the men. Victoria, like all state governments, committed to remove hanging points from its jails in response to the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. In all four deaths, the coroner found the Victorian government and Group 4 had contributed to the deaths for failing to address hanging points. 'Designing out the more obvious of the hanging points in the general cells is but one of many options that should have been employed at Port Phillip in the plan to improve prisoner safety. It was not done,' the coroner wrote. 'It should have been done prior to the opening of the prison. It is not a question of hindsight. It was patently clear from the outset.' In his recommendations, the coroner said 'it may be considered necessary to prioritise the removal of any 'obvious' hanging points in all prison general (or mainstream) cells'. Port Phillip Prison, which is now privately run by G4S Australia, is scheduled to close in December. People in custody will be progressively transferred out of custody from July, with most to be moved to the new Western Plains Correctional Centre in Lara. G4S declined to comment. Corrective Services NSW said it had spent $3.9m to remove hanging points and dangerous furniture from Long Bay Correctional Complex. It said its extensive program to remove obvious ligature points was ongoing and prioritised based on risk assessments. 'The NSW government has invested $16m to make our prisons safer across the Corrective Services network by installing anti-ligature toilets, basins, tap wear, showerheads and beds in cells, as well as covering smoke detectors with covers and replacing sprinkler systems,' a spokesperson said. 'In addition to ligature removal and refurbishments, Corrective Services NSW has well-established policies and procedures for the care and management of inmates identified as being at risk of self-harm or suicide.' In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support. Other international helplines can be found at
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Thugs, thieves and drug dealers could avoid court under radical plans to ease justice system backlog
THUGS, thieves and drug dealers could avoid going to crown court under plans to overhaul the clogged justice system. Offenders may avoid a criminal record and instead be sentenced to do unpaid work or get rehabilitation, it is proposed. 2 Sentences could be cut by 40 per cent, up from a third now, with an early guilty plea. Jury trials would be scrapped for some drug dealers and sex offenders with a judge and two magistrates presiding instead. They could impose sentences of up to three years' jail. The maximum penalty JPs could hand down would double to two years. The shake-up, proposed in a report for the Government by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson, is an attempt to tackle the current backlog of 77,000 crown court cases. It has seen trial dates pushed back as far as 2029. Sir Brian said without the reforms there would be a 'breakdown in law and order' with 'society taking things into their own hands'. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said 'criminals like burglars and some killers will serve just a fifth of their sentences. That makes a mockery of our justice system.' Victims' Commissioner Baroness Newlove warned higher guilty plea discounts and out-of-court disposals 'will feel like justice diluted again'. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has yet to announce which recommendations she will accept. First convicts leave Barlinnie after Scottish Government release 360 prisoners early due to overcrowding 2
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Why Keir Starmer risks making the same mistake as David Cameron when it comes to Europe
Shabana Mahmood has said the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) must be reformed to restore public confidence as Sir Keir Starmer 's government seeks to tackle the issue head-on. The justice secretary joined calls for an overhaul of the convention, warning that 'public confidence in the rule of law is fraying' and 'there is a growing perception human rights laws are a tool for criminals to avoid responsibility'. It comes after similar comments were made by Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who this month warned human rights laws had gone from being a 'shield' to a 'sword used to attack democracies'. Falling in line with those calling for the ECHR to be overhauled, but stopping short of calling for the UK to pull out, Ms Mahmood told European ambassadors: 'The European Convention on Human Rights is one of the great achievements of post-war politics. It has endured because it has evolved. 'Now, it must do so again.' So will Sir Keir be able to quell the grumblings of the Conservatives and Reform UK – or does he risk falling into the same trap as David Cameron, failing to deliver and emboldening his Eurosceptic critics? The debate over Britain's role in the ECHR has been given a renewed burst of life by the rise of Nigel Farage, Ms Badenoch all-but pledging the Tories would pull the UK out, but most importantly, the head of the Council of Europe saying there should be 'no taboo' on rewriting its rules. Critics of the convention argue that, without a fundamental overhaul, it will be impossible for the UK to deport foreign criminals en masse and remove those who arrive in Britain illegally, such as via the English Channel in small boats. Many go further, saying that reform of the agreement would be impossible given its 46 signatories, and that the UK must pull out altogether. Sir Keir and Ms Mahmood are pursuing the softer option, attempting to take a leadership role in the drive to update the binding legal text. The move could prove a masterstroke for Labour, run by a man derided by so many as a liberal left-wing lawyer who does not understand the concerns of those impacted by soaring migration and the small boats crisis. In taking the issue by the horns, Sir Keir can defy his doubters on the right and take on his left-wing critics, painting himself as somebody prepared to do what is right for the country without fear or favour. But the road to reform is fraught with risk, and could even see Sir Keir suffer the same fate as his predecessor Lord Cameron – who paved the path for Brexit before quitting in shame at the result. The then prime minister sought to quell frustration about the UK's membership of the EU by promising reforms of his own. He was battling rebels in his own Conservative Party and a challenge from UKIP on the right, and emerged from marathon talks in Brussels in 2016 having secured 'special status' for the UK in the bloc. But despite his efforts, the tweaks were not enough – with Britain voting to leave the EU just four months later. In the same way, by promising reform of the ECHR Sir Keir risks two things. The first is giving ground to right-wing critics of the convention, both raising its salience with the general public and legitimising their concerns. The second is overpromising and underdelivering, with just four years to force changes the public will experience before heading back to the polls for a general election. If the prime minister promises a programme of reforms that will help him stop the small boats crisis in the Channel and remove more foreign offenders, he will need to deliver. If polling day rolls around and the boats are still arriving, taxpayers are still spending huge sums to house those seeking asylum and voters do not feel the difference, With a slew of recent headlines about deportations being blocked on sometimes ridiculous-sounding grounds, it is clear something needs to be done.
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- The Guardian
Hanging points death toll ‘unacceptable', attorney general Michelle Rowland says, urging states to review practices
Michelle Rowland has described the 'unacceptable' death toll linked to the continued presence of hanging points in Australian jails as 'deeply concerning' and told state and territory governments to 'review their practices'. The attorney general has also signalled she will push for accelerated justice reforms during upcoming meetings with her state and territory counterparts at the Standing Council of Attorneys-General forum. 'Every death in custody is a tragedy and the unacceptable number of deaths in custody caused by hanging points is deeply concerning,' a spokesperson for Rowland said. 'The attorney general strongly encourages state and territory governments to review their practices and continue to work toward effective solutions that ensure the safety and dignity of all Australians in the justice system.' A Guardian Australia investigation last week revealed 57 inmates have died in 19 separate prisons using hanging points that authorities knew about but failed to remove, often despite repeated suicides and stark warnings from coroners. At the Arthur Gorrie prison in Brisbane, the same ligature point – a set of exposed bars contained in older-style cells – has been used in 10 separate hanging deaths between 2001 and 2020, despite warnings to the state government as early as 2007 that it 'immediately' fund the removal of the bars. In one of those deaths in 2010, an inmate was sent into a cell containing the bars despite previously telling prison authorities that he had thought of using them to die by suicide, according to coronial findings. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Similar failures were replicated across the state. At the Borallon prison, an inmate hanged himself from a similar set of exposed bars in 2011, five years after the Queensland government was told to 'immediately cover with mesh any bars accessible to prisoners in cells'. At the Townsville prison, two inmates hanged themselves from exposed bars a decade after the government was told to 'immediately' act on hanging points, 'including bars'. The situation was replicated in almost every state in the country. In New South Wales, the Guardian found 20 hangings from ligature points that were known to authorities but not removed. Another 14 deaths were identified in South Australia and seven in Western Australia. The failings have prompted urgent calls from experts and families of the dead for action, including on removing obvious hanging points, but also to improve mental health service delivery to jails. Most of the cases identified by the Guardian revealed failures in mental health treatment, risk assessment, cell placement or information sharing, including the death of Gavin Ellis, who died at Sydney's Silverwater prison complex in 2017. Ellis had a longstanding psychotic illness and had attempted to hang himself twice in his first three days of custody. Despite this, he was not seen by a mental health clinician for eight days, was not reviewed by a psychiatrist for six weeks, and was then sent into a cell with a ligature point that had been used by another inmate in the same unit of the prison two years earlier. 'The system does not have capital punishment, yet it leaves hanging points for inmates to use,' his mother, Cheryl Ellis, told the Guardian. State governments all said they were taking the issues of hanging points seriously, and had conducted long-term programs to make cells safe, as well as investing in better mental health assessment and treatment. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Hanging deaths disproportionately affect Indigenous Australians, owing largely to the failure to decrease their overrepresentation in prison populations. In 2023, First Nations Australians accounted for 33% of the country's prison population – a record high – but just 3% of the overall population. On Tuesday, the former Labor senator Pat Dodson described the death toll using known ligature points as 'totally unacceptable'. Dodson worked on the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, which in 1991 told state and territory governments to remove hanging points and to enact strategies to reduce the incarceration rate for Indigenous Australians. He joined a group of crossbenchers, including David Pocock, David Shoebridge, Zali Steggall and Lidia Thorpe, in calling for national leadership on the issue. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Katie Kiss, said the removal of hanging points from prison cells to reduce self-harm was a 'key recommendation' from the 1991 royal commission. 'The failure to implement this and … other recommendations exacerbates the ongoing national shame that is Aboriginal deaths in custody,' she said. 'The treatment of our people, particularly when it comes to the administration of the justice system, is a deep stain on this country. They are being failed by an oppressive system that continues to deny their rights.' In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support. Other international helplines can be found at
