Page 4377 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019

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forward to working with the community and our stakeholders to keep property crime down and to minimise the number of people who become victim to property crime.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Report of a review of a critical incident by the Inspector of Correctional Services—assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.48): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:

That the Assembly take note of the following paper:

Inspector of Correctional Services Act—Report of a Review of a Critical Incident by the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services—Assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 16 December 2018—Government response.

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (3.48): I am pleased to table the government’s response to the Inspector of Correctional Services’ report of a review of a critical incident, Assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 16 December 2018. As members are aware, on 5 June 2019 the Inspector of Correctional Services tabled this report, the third review the office has completed of a critical incident. The review was conducted at the inspector’s own initiative, following an assault and the subsequent hospitalisation of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

The report found that the incident was not reasonably foreseeable by ACT Corrective Services. It makes four findings that provide the ACT community with assurance that ACT Corrective Services responded to this critical incident efficiently. Two findings identify areas for improvement in practice in relation to ensuring that internal incident review practices align with written procedure and timely updating of detainee records relating to next of kin. The report also makes one recommendation: that ACT Corrective Services ensures that those involved in traumatic events are offered support after the event and that these offers are documented.

ACT Corrective Services continues to strive to maintain correctional facilities where detainee and staff safety is paramount, detainees are treated with respect and dignity, and human rights are maintained at all times. However, within all correctional centres there remains risk for conflict amongst detainees. In order to manage this risk, ACT Corrective Services has bolstered its security operations and is constantly evolving its security practices to align with international best practice in corrections management. The positive findings of this report are evidence that this work is progressing well.


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