Inadequate staffing resources, poor staff culture and sense of value, and an unsafe environment are problems at the Alexander Maconochie Centre, according to a report on the ACT’s troubled detention centre published yesterday.
Following assaults on staff and allegations of racism, Christine Nixon, Australia’s first woman police commissioner, was appointed last year to lead an oversight committee charged with improving working conditions at the AMC and in the ACT Corrective Services Court Transport Unit, which transports people between detention and court.
The Committee investigated staffing-related matters, including rosters, overtime, leave, workplace injuries, policy, training, and service delivery, between July 2021 and March 2022.
The Blueprint for Change report, A new future for custodial services, finds that inadequate staffing numbers contributed to several issues, including poor staff wellbeing (due to high overtime levels), lack of access to training opportunities, reduced safety on site, and increased detainee tension (due to increased lock ins), the report found. It recommends engaging an external expert to meet that demand within six months.
Staff felt undervalued and a consistent lack of respect or concern for their wellbeing, the report found. Ill-fitting uniforms and a lack of equipment – crowd control tools, fit-for-purpose vehicles, standard issue handcuffs, radio, and OC pouches – compromised their safety, operational effectiveness, and dignity. Staff felt communication and engagement on operational matters was lacking; management did not trust them, and seemed uninterested or unwilling to act on staffing concerns. The report recommends investing in uniforms and equipment; promoting a culture of trust; and establishing better communication and engagement within three months.
The report also identified negativity across all three Corrective Services sites between custodial and non-custodial staff at the AMC, between the AMC and CTU, and with head office staff. The report recommends a review of the structure of custodial operations to simplify, integrate, and re-align accountability of operational and strategic functions; and training in tactical leadership and operational management for senior staff.
Security of the environment contributes to safety concerns of staff, the report found: managing the diversity of detainees within a single facility presents many challenges in terms of managing the security of the facility and safety of both staff and detainees, particularly in the context of minimising the limitations on human rights for different groups of detainees. Staff are concerned the detainee profile has changed over time, resulting in a more volatile and higher risk environment and that the facility no longer meets the more contemporary demands of operational practice. The report recommends better fencing, cameras, and x-ray body scanners; establishing a maximum capacity for the AMC. reducing detainee overcrowding, and mitigation strategies; and banning smoking in AMC and CTU facilities.
Staff training and professional development is inadequate in opportunity and scope in its current form, the report found. High operational demand, COVID-19 restrictions, limited training resources, and no online operational training options have all limited training delivery. The report recommends a staffing and / or rostering solution for both AMC and CTU that enables regular and sustainable staff access to training and ensure the training program; increasing training resources; and developing a capability framework for roles across custodial operations within three years.
Finally, detainee tension is a contributing factor to staff stress and dissatisfaction, the report found. Heightened tension within the detainee population is evident through the volume of aggressive behaviour, damage to property, and incidents. Ad hoc damage caused by detainees results in a persistent need for repairs in the facility which creates complexities in accommodation management. Staff safety is compromised where accommodations are less than ideal, where contraband is reasonably available, and when detainees are emboldened. The report recommends establishing mechanisms that promote positive detainee engagement, such as a more ‘structured day’; relocating problematic detainees interstate; and building on staff wellbeing services, such as counselling.
Government response
Mick Gentleman, ACT Minister for Corrections, welcomed the report.
“Supporting the staff of the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) and Court Transport Unit (CTU) was a key priority of mine when I commenced in this portfolio,” Mr Gentleman said. “The Blueprint for Change report is an important step towards improving outcomes for custodial staff and detainees.”
Mr Gentleman said some of the report’s 15 recommendations made immediate improvement possible, while other more complex solutions required careful sequencing over the coming years.
“I am pleased to accept the recommendations in principle, and will work with the Commissioner and the Justice and Community Safety Directorate in addressing the issues raised,” he said. “I acknowledge that this will take time and commitment, as many of the issues raised are complex and systemic. I am committed to achieving long-term and meaningful change for ACT Corrective Services.”
Mr Gentleman acknowledged the high level of staff engagement during the review, and said the oversight committee gained their insights through energetic and honest staff consultation.
He thanked Ms Nixon for leading this body of work and ensuring that staff and stakeholder voices were heard in a way that supports the government’s goal of building a culture of trust.
Mr Gentleman thanked the hardworking ACTCS staff, and said he looked forward to working with them to improve their workplace.
“By supporting our corrections officers, we can also enhance outcomes for detainees.”
Ms Nixon also welcomed the report’s release, and spoke highly of the expertise and commitment of ACT Corrective Services staff.
“It was my pleasure to work with the oversight committee members for the past 12 months,” she said. “The level of experience and insight brought to the table from custodial officers at the AMC and CTU was crucial to this work.
“As ACT Corrective Services enters this next phase of reform, it is well positioned to deliver a best practice correctional services model for staff and detainees.”
The Blueprint for Change report, A new future for custodial services, can be viewed on the Justice and Community Safety website.
ACTCOSS response
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) welcomed some of its key recommendations.
ACTCOSS CEO Dr Emma Campbell said: “To ensure that the AMC is a safe environment for all who live, work, and visit at the prison, we need adequate and supported staffing in corrective services.
“Improving support provided to corrections staff should also improve outcomes for detainees. Investing time and resources for training for corrections staff will better enable them to positively engage with detainees and contribute to a safer culture for all at the AMC.”
ACTCOSS welcomed Recommendation 13 which responds to ACTCOSS’s advocacy calling for more opportunities for detainees to engage with training, skill development, activities, and programs.
Dr Campbell said: “The community sector is ready to strengthen our existing partnerships with Corrective Services to provide some of these opportunities.
“The community sector currently provides some essential services and programs within the AMC, often without dedicated funding. These include health promotion, financial literacy programs, and drug and alcohol harm reduction training.
“These services need to be expanded and adequately funded.”
ACTCOSS was disappointed the Oversight Committee had failed to consult with detainees and the community sector in the review process, but hoped that the community would be engaged in the implementation of the recommendations.
Dr Campbell said: “Staff training and concerns are integrally linked with the needs and experiences of detainees, their families, and the community sector that supports them. It is critical that all stakeholders are engaged in improving outcomes for all involved in our justice system.
“Supporting staff is critical. We would also like to see similar time and investment spent on improving outcomes for detainees, particularly through the implementation of recommendations from existing reports such as the Healthy Prison Review.”
Rachelle Kelly-Church, Gulanga Program Manager, said: “ACTCOSS continues to call for a broader commission of inquiry into outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT, including in the justice system. Indigenous people in the ACT are incarcerated at 19 times the rate of non-Indigenous people, and 91 per cent of Indigenous detainees have experienced prior imprisonment.
“By not acknowledging and addressing the systemic causes of overincarceration of Aboriginal people, we are setting people up to fail again and again. The harm caused to families and communities is enormous, and we need to invest in real solutions.
“We also want to ensure that Corrective Services is a safe place for all employees and detainees by ensuring that cultural safety is prioritised, and cultural awareness training is mandated and resourced for all staff.”
