As Northern Territory prison population hits another record high, the government will move to appoint interstate correctional officers and external organisations to plug gaps in the prison workforce. But the decision has been met with fierce opposition, including from the union representing the territory’s prison guards.
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00:00With prisoner numbers through the ceiling, the Territory Government wants more boots
00:07on the ground.
00:08We know that the prison numbers have gone up substantially over the last five months
00:12and the workforce hasn't kicked up.
00:13The CLP will move laws next week allowing private subcontractors to work in the NT prison
00:19system, but they've pulled up short of labelling the move privatisation.
00:24We're not about privatising prisons, we're about increasing the workforce.
00:28Since this time last year, prison numbers have spiked by more than 400.
00:32In spite of the dire need for more prison staff, the Government's plans have been met
00:37with fierce backlash from the union.
00:39Getting transfers from experienced correctional officers does happen when you've got some
00:43staff in crisis.
00:44I just want to make clear, these special officers they're bringing in are not correctional officers.
00:50They're absolutely not, they're not going to be trained as correctional officers, they're
00:53not going to have the qualification.
00:56The union says it could result in a vote of no confidence against Corrections Commissioner
01:00Matthew Varley and potential industrial action.
01:04Why should they be doing 16, 20 hours a day for corrections when no one's caring for them?
01:09The Government's not and Commissioner Varley's not.
01:12While the Government hasn't revealed who they will employ or how much they're willing to
01:15spend, the dire state of the Northern Territory justice system is clear.
01:20Prisons are understaffed and watch houses are full, with one prisoner even escaping
01:24yesterday afternoon.
01:25I can confirm that there was a prisoner who escaped custody, a male prisoner escaped custody
01:30late this afternoon from the Darwin City Watch House, as we refer to the Darwin Police Prison.
01:34Police say the escapee, Chris Cooper, does not pose a risk to public safety, but have
01:39urged the public to contact police if cited.