Prisoner numbers reach new highs in Darwin and Alice Springs
There are growing human rights concerns for prisoners in the Northern Territory as inmate numbers reach new highs. This week, both Darwin and Alice Springs correctional centres reached their "operational capacity" – with more than 50 prisoners put in temporary jails at police watchhouses. Local and national bodies have labelled the situation a "crisis", calling for urgent changes to bail and conditions inside.
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00:00 Nearly 1% of the Northern Territory's population is in custody at the moment, more than 2,200
00:08 people. Darwin Correctional Centre was originally built for just over 1,000 people. On Tuesday,
00:15 it had more than 300 prisoners above that amount, with a number now sleeping on mattresses
00:20 on the floor. Dozens more prisoners are in temporary jails set up inside Darwin Police
00:26 Watch Houses. In Alice Springs, the prison was at its maximum operating capacity on Monday.
00:33 The NT prison's population's been growing since 2012, a trend reflected around Australia.
00:40 An increasing number of Territory prisoners are on remand, meaning they haven't been convicted
00:44 of an offence but have been denied bail while their matters are going through the courts.
00:49 The National Human Rights Watchdog says that's seriously concerning.
00:54 That really sits uncomfortably with the presumption of innocence that's the cornerstone of our
00:58 criminal justice system. What's going wrong? Well, the body that represents
01:02 Aboriginal Territorians charged with a crime says successive local and national governments
01:07 have failed to address systemic disadvantages faced by Indigenous people, as bail laws have
01:14 become tougher. For non-Aboriginal people, they have a home,
01:17 they potentially have a job, so they're getting bail at rates higher than what Aboriginal
01:21 people are. The system is broken. So what about conditions inside the prisons?
01:27 On average, it was 32 degrees inside Alice Springs jail last month. Severe heat led to
01:32 a riot in 2018 and was linked to a failed escape just over a fortnight ago.
01:38 It is grossly inhumane and grossly irresponsible and seriously negligent on the part of any
01:44 government to allow it. So how is the government responding to these
01:47 concerns? The Corrections Commissioner says he's closely
01:50 paying attention to heat and overpopulation. And he's taking cooling options to the NT
01:55 government in coming months. Prefabricated cell blocks are being built
01:59 for Darwin and Alice Springs, which will add an extra 96 beds at each facility.
02:05 Chief Minister Eva Lawler says she's responding to community concern by locking up criminals.
02:10 But that can't be the whole solution.
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