The dam wall is about to burst on the prison system and Territorians are concerned about what will happen when it does.
Shadow Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Steve Edgington said the community knew gaols had overflowed into watch houses around the Territory and was anxious about what happens next.
“Because the Fyles Government is divorced from reality and the community, everyone is being kept in the dark,” he said.
“No government could be so incompetent as to have no plan at all – not even the Fyles government – but they need to communicate with Territorians to allay those fears.
“That’s why we’re calling on the Fyles Government to come clean on what they plan to do when the gaols and the watch houses are stretched beyond capacity.
“We don’t want to see a situation where dangerous violent offenders are left to roam free and assault Territorians, for no reason other than the government having nowhere to put them.”
Is former hostel prepping for prisoners?
Mr Edgington said reports from Alice Springs suggested the former Salvation Army hostel was being refurbished for use by the justice system.
In Question Time today, Attorney-General Chansey Paech refused to rule out the facility’s use by the Justice Department, saying only that he would not be moving people from the “Alice Springs Correctional Centre” into that environment.
“If it is going to be used in some way by the Justice Department, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles should come out and tell us – at least tell the people living in that residential area,” he said.
“If that’s not the case, Natasha Fyles needs to come out and reveal her secret plan to deal with the problem her Crime Crisis created.
“This is not some sudden emergency that’s happened. We’ve seen it coming for years, so the government must have a comprehensive plan for this contingency.”
ENDS