1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: As we've discussed the government's forging ahead with the legislative 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: reform aimed at reducing crime in the Northern territory. We've 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: got a better understanding yesterday as well how they're going 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: to deal with this in terms of increasing the number 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: of beds within our correctional facilities. Now joining me on 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: the line is the head of the United Voice, erinor Early. 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: Good morning to you. 8 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, how are you yeah? 9 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: Really good? Thank you so much for your time this morning. 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: Apologies for our tech issues. I think they're mostly operator 11 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: error on my part. Erin Or, I'll be honest. Now, 12 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: big announcement obviously yesterday by the Colp government saying that 13 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: they're going to deliver up to one thousand more places 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: over the next four years. What kind of difference is 15 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: this going to make within our correctional facilities. 16 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 2: Well, Katie, it does make more room for more numbers 17 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 2: for prisoners to be allocated in the correctional center, especially 18 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 2: in Darwin and Alice Springs. YEP. 19 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: And I know that it's going to see the immediate 20 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: conversion or pretty well immediate of don Dale Youth Detention 21 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: Center for temporary youth spy up to fifty low security 22 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 1: adult male prisoners in December, the government saying it's going 23 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: to add an additional two hundred beds by March twenty 24 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: twenty five. How do you feel or how are our workers, 25 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,279 Speaker 1: our correctional stuff feeling about then moving back into don Dale. 26 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 2: Well, some of them haven't worked in the don Dale 27 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: Burhm prison before, so they don't have the concerns of 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 2: some of the other prisoners up. Sorry about other officers 29 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 2: who have left, because they left because it was basically 30 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: condemned as an adult prison. But I think one of 31 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: the main concerns they've got, Katie is they're kind of 32 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 2: a bit delusioned as well, because it's great to hear 33 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: about the new reforms and the resources and finding that 34 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 2: going towards correction. But the thing is the focus on 35 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: the low both security beds and this is not what 36 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: they're asking for. We members are seeking a remand center, 37 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 2: and they're a bit disappointed that this will has a 38 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 2: big part of the strategy of the current government. 39 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: Right so they because I know you and I had 40 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: spoken earlier in the year about a remand center, So 41 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: you're saying that correctional staff actually want a remand center 42 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: rather than these additional beds. 43 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: Oh. Absolutely, so they're looking at additional beds. But the 44 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: view if we had a remand center this would actually 45 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: really assist with the overcrowding and the high prison population 46 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 2: in there as well. Because we're the only jurisdiction in 47 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 2: the country that doesn't have a remand center. 48 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: How does the remand center work in terms of staffing? 49 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: Would it be difficult for us to get to the 50 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: point of being able to staff it adequately. 51 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 2: Well, we can't adequately start the prisons either. As you 52 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 2: know is Alice Springs is always trying to catch up 53 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: with their staffing. Last week they were nearly down fifty 54 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 2: eight officers. So with all the new infrastructure and the 55 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: new beds coming to Alice Spring, we still can't even 56 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 2: start the current prison. So we're going to need at 57 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 2: least eighty to one hundred new officers for Alice Springs. 58 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: So you reckon, is this based on the announcement yesterday 59 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: erin or is this just generally that we need an 60 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: additional eighty to one hundred officers. 61 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 2: Reece is based on the announcement yesterday. 62 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 1: Okay, So for Alice Springs, an additional eighty to one 63 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: hundred officers. What about up in the top end. 64 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: From the top end in Darwin, you're roughly looking between 65 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: sixty to seventy new officers as well. 66 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: Where are we going to find them? 67 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: I don't know, that's the question. No one's spoken about 68 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 2: where we're going to get these officers from your corrections 69 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: have a great conditions of employment. They're the highest paid 70 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 2: in the NT. They've had some realafic scessful enterprise bargaining negotiation, 71 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 2: so ways it shouldn't be a problem. The issue is 72 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 2: about their conditions in a workplace. They're constantly working, short staff, 73 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 2: fatigue management, people are scared about coming Are they going 74 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 2: to come home each night? We need to address all 75 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 2: those things to attract people to come up here to 76 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: the NT because it is the best place to live 77 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: in the NT, and we need to make sure we're 78 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 2: attracting these officers. 79 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: I mean, you and I spoke just last week after 80 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: we'd heard from a whistleblower about some of the issues 81 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: around staff safety, staffing numbers. When you take into account 82 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: the announcement that was made by the Colp government yesterday, 83 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: and when you look at those concerns that we've discussed 84 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: last week, I mean where do we land Aeron. Is 85 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: this going to be a good thing, the increased capacity 86 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,799 Speaker 1: or do you think we're going to see more issues 87 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: when it comes to violence and not being able to 88 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: adequately deliver the services with the staffing levels that we need. 89 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 2: In some ways it is a good thing because Corrections 90 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 2: are getting that resourcing. We just need to know, you know, 91 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 2: how quickly it can be done. Corrections can never control 92 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 2: the amount of numbers that come through because that will 93 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 2: depend on the police, the courts, etc. So that's the 94 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: risk we have here. We don't have the Corrections don't 95 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 2: have that control over the numbers that come through. Where 96 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: you mentioned about officers as Salt, we've got Alice Springs 97 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 2: coming up into their peaks, you know, weather coming. The 98 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 2: air conditioning still has never been replaced or put in 99 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 2: in Alice Springs correction. So we're in that riot period. 100 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 2: So and this is a scary time for my officers 101 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 2: in Alice Springs. 102 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: So you reckon it's going to get worse. Do you 103 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: think we're going to be in a situation because there's 104 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: not that air conditioning that that goodness knows what could happen? Oh? 105 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 2: Absolutely, the previous government promised that they are going to 106 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 2: have this air conditioning in. It's still not in. So 107 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 2: we need to address those types of infrastructures. The G 108 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 2: Block where we had all the riots in Alice Springs 109 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 2: still not being done. 110 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: Erin Or again, I know people are going to be going, 111 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: do you know what, you go to prison. You don't 112 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: deserve to have an air condition are you? You know? Like, 113 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: I know some people listening are going to be thinking that. 114 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: I mean, like, what would you say to those listening 115 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: this morning that are thinking prisoners do not deserve to 116 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: have those luxuries. 117 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 2: Look, I appreciate people's concerns, but the air conditioning is 118 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 2: not just about prisoners. This is about the safety of 119 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 2: the officers. We need to ensure these correction officers come 120 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 2: home safely their territories, their wives, their husbands, their dads, 121 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 2: there are mates and if we can get air conditioning 122 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 2: in to ensure produce riots and their assaults nothing. There 123 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 2: should be no tap on the money here. This is 124 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 2: about officers safety as well, not just about prisoners. 125 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: Well erinor Early, I always appreciate your time. I know that, 126 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,559 Speaker 1: you know so to a lot of people listening this morning, 127 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,119 Speaker 1: there please that the COLP seems to have a plan 128 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: in terms of making sure that there are additional beads 129 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,679 Speaker 1: and our additional spots within our correctional facilities. I guess, 130 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: so we do need to make sure that those prisoners 131 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: are also having programs delivered and that there is adequate 132 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: staffing levels. And by the sounds of what you're telling me, 133 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: it doesn't really sound. 134 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 2: Like there is no there's not at this stage. This 135 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 2: hasn't been looked at. 136 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: Is it a good move? Just a real quick one. 137 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: Is it a good move though, that we're going to 138 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: see prisoners moved out of those watchhouses? I mean, surely 139 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: that's going to be a good thing. 140 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 2: Oh, that is definitely a good thing. Absolutely. We agree 141 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 2: that our members don't want our officers don't want to 142 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 2: be in the watchhouse anymore. The watchhouse is there for police, 143 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: it's for their operations, so that is a positive thing. 144 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: Well, Erina Early, I really appreciate your time this morning. 145 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: Thank you as always for having a chat with us. 146 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 2: Always my pleasure. Katie, have a great day, Thank you 147 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 2: you too.