A maximum security prison break at Alice Springs Correctional Centre last week was a threat to the safety of staff and the general prison population.
Shadow Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Steve Edgington said the danger of the situation should not be underestimated.
“The Fyles government has failed to keep Territorians safe and now they aren’t even safe if they’re in jail,” he said.
“These prisoners were in maximum security for a reason and their escape posed a very real risk for staff and other prisoners.
“When they broke through the wall of the maximum security G Block, they had access to staff areas where no unsupervised prisoners should be able to go.”
Mr Edgington said concerns about the structural integrity of maximum security were known but never talked about because no one wanted to make prisoners aware of a weak spot.
“But now the issue has been exposed and now other prisoners have seen how it’s done there is a concern copy-cat escapes will be attempted,” he said.
“The problem is made worse when the prison is severely understaffed like it has been for a long time.
“We currently have the highest prisoner numbers ever recorded. At the same time, we have the lowest staffing rates ever witnessed.”
Alice Springs Correctional Centre is at capacity (650) while upwards of 20 prisoners are being held at any given time in the police watch house.
“The Fyles Labor government has done everything they can to drive down correction officer numbers,” Mr Edgington said.
“They had them working in conditions well outside the guidelines, they were overworked and understaffed, and, on top of that, they were subjected to a pay freeze, followed by protracted negotiations.
“All those factors create a perfect storm for reducing staff numbers to a point where recovery will be very difficult.”
ENDS