Following a number of complaints from inmates, the NSW Ombudsman investigated Serco’s response to an assault at Clarence Correctional Centre. On September 21, 2023, a single inmate assaulted a correctional officer in a violent act which was heavily condemned by the Ombudsman. However, the report’s focus was on a series of retaliatory actions by Serco (a security multi-national company that operates at Clarence) on inmates who were not involved in the assault. These included locking down an entire wing housing 175 individuals for five days and placing three bystander inmates into solitary confinement.
The report stated that these actions were “not warranted for the purposes of maintaining the good order and security of the centre,” and were “unreasonable and oppressive.”
The northern NSW prison also charged 34 inmates who witnessed the assault and 33 inmates were placed on “Behavioural Management Contracts” which allows for people to be held in their cells for up to 22 hours a day, for a maximum period of eight weeks.
The Ombudsman report found that charges were laid and sanctions imposed “despite a lack of reasonable evidence.”
Following a number of complaints from inmates, the NSW Ombudsman investigated Serco’s response to an assault at Clarence Correctional Centre. On September 21, 2023, a single inmate assaulted a correctional officer in a violent act which was heavily condemned by the Ombudsman. However, the report’s focus was on a series of retaliatory actions by Serco (a security multi-national company that operates at Clarence) on inmates who were not involved in the assault. These included locking down an entire wing housing 175 individuals for five days and placing three bystander inmates into solitary confinement.
The report stated that these actions were “not warranted for the purposes of maintaining the good order and security of the centre,” and were “unreasonable and oppressive.”
The northern NSW prison also charged 34 inmates who witnessed the assault and 33 inmates were placed on “Behavioural Management Contracts” which allows for people to be held in their cells for up to 22 hours a day, for a maximum period of eight weeks.
The Ombudsman report found that charges were laid and sanctions imposed “despite a lack of reasonable evidence.”
The National Justice Project, a not-for-profit human rights legal service, are in discussions with senior barristers as to whether the inmates subjected to the retaliatory measures have a claim for false imprisonment. They are considering a class action to seek compensation for those affected.
If you were affected by this incident, or if you’d like more information about the potential class action, please contact:
The National Justice Project, a not-for-profit human rights legal service, are in discussions with senior barristers as to whether the inmates subjected to the retaliatory measures have a claim for false imprisonment. They are considering a class action to seek compensation for those affected.
If you were affected by this incident, or if you’d like more information about the potential class action, please contact:
An Ombudsman investigation has found people in Canberra’s only prison paid nearly $125,000 to make phone calls across two years when this should have been free.
Should going to prison mean never being allowed to hug your partner or child? Is denying physical contact a just punishment, or does it harm families and human dignity? And what do human rights have to say about it?
While for the most part calls to mobiles are becoming cheaper, we clearly still have a long way to go.
Including seven children escaping youth detention in Tasmania, two men being charged over prison murder in Queensland, a coroner pushing for bans on spit hoods in prison in the Northern Territory and more.
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