ACT Corrections Officers appropriately managed the first hostage situation at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC), and found the event was unforeseeable, the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services said in a report published today, but the report also raised concerns about the approval of the use of chemical agents in this incident.
On 27 March, a detainee at the AMC took another detainee hostage in his cell, the ICS report stated.
“Thanks to effective rapport and communication skills, Corrections Officers were able to negotiate the release of the detainee who had been taken hostage.” Fortunately, the hostage was physically unharmed, and a peaceful surrender occurred after about 90 minutes.
The report said the senior Corrections Officer who talked to the hostage holder did an excellent job, partly because he knew the prisoner, and was able to establish rapport.
“The officer is a credit to ACT Corrective Services and demonstrates the skills required in what can be a challenging work environment,” said Mick Gentleman, ACT Minister for Corrections.
While it did not become necessary, a Corrections Officer trained in the use of pepper spray was on standby to deploy it in the event the situation required immediate intervention, the ICS noted.
“It is a matter of concern to OICS that currently, ACTCS does not have a notified policy or procedure specific to the use of chemical agents.”
Mr Gentleman responded: “The Chemical Agent Policy has been finalised by ACT Corrective Services, and will be notified in the coming weeks to address one of the seven recommendations in the Inspector’s report.”
The review also identified issues around policies and procedures for the management of a hostage situation, including lack of clear direction about when a victim’s family must be notified, and the role of health services in administering essential medications during such an incident.
“The findings and recommendations of the report are primarily centred around the review and implementation of policies and procedures to better reflect current process,” Mr Gentleman said.
“In line with the usual process, the ACT Government will soon table a formal response to the findings and recommendations in the report.”
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