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Lessons for SA in Victorian prison riots

Jul 01, 2015
Tony Piccolo may be returning to his former seat - if he's lucky.

Tony Piccolo may be returning to his former seat - if he's lucky.

The SA Department for Correctional Services says it will learn from yesterday’s riots at a Melbourne prison to help prevent violence when a smoking ban comes into force at the Adelaide Remand Centre next year.

Prisoners at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Remand Centre staged a 15-hour riot yesterday, on the eve of a smoking ban at the prison.

The South Australian Government announced in May it would ban smoking in the Adelaide Remand Centre from March next year.

Department of Corrections CEO David Brown told 891 ABC radio this morning that the department would take lessons on from the Melbourne riot to avoid similar problems at the Adelaide Remand Centre.

“We always learn from each other across corrections jurisdictions and we were certainly very concerned when we saw the incident unfolding yesterday,” he said.

“We are very concerned for the wellbeing and safety of our colleagues in Victoria and we’re very pleased to see that the matter was resolved overnight.”

Corrections Minister Tony Piccolo told InDaily in a statement that South Australia had also learnt “from a number of other jurisdictions both domestic and international who have successfully transitioned to a smoke-free prison system”.

“That is why South Australia’s smoke-free trial at the Adelaide Remand Centre has a nine month lead in so prisoners can access quit smoking information and other supports.

“These include a Quit SA mentor, nicotine replacement therapy patches combined with increased fitness and recreational activity.

“The Adelaide Remand Centre was chosen as the trial site as prisoners held are done so on a shorter term and transition between facilities such as the City Watch House and other police cells which are already subject to smoke free policies.

“The Smoke Free system is about improving health and safety of both … staff and prisoners.

“The trial at the Adelaide Remand Centre will then guide and inform how we can best transition towards a smoke-free prison environment across our facilities.”

Opposition corrections spokesperson John Gardner said the government would have to ensure that that measures are put in place so that similar riots “can’t be repeated in South Australia”.

He criticised the government for being slow to act on smoking bans in prisons.

“The Government has had three years already to prepare, but by the time that it comes in, they would have spent nearly four years preparing for this,” he said.

“Given that the State Government announced in 2012 that they would be doing this, and they’re doing it in one prison only in March 2016, surely four years is enough to fully put in place preparations for this.”

He said the Liberal Party would release specific policy on smoking bans in prisons before the next election.

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