Prisons overcrowded

The Territory's two prisons are overcrowded and could not handle an influx of drunken itinerants, a prisons source said yesterday.

There are 433 inmates at Darwin prison - 20 more than capacity, the source said.

Alice Springs also is at capacity.

Labor is to introduce the Anti-social Behaviour Act if returned to power at the June 18 election.

Habitual drunks, who refuse to go on alcohol rehabilitation programs, will be jailed, it has said. The CLP also has promised a crackdown on itinerant drinkers.

Police say there are about 200 alcoholic long-grassers in Darwin.

A prisons source said last night: ``Where are all these extra prisoners to go?

``Darwin jail couldn't handle 20, let alone 200.''

The Berrimah prison is so overcrowded that a recreational room known as the Day Care Centre has been turned into a dormitory.

``There is no space,'' the source said. ``The place is so overcrowded everyone is in everyone else's face. No one has got personal space.

``Everybody is on edge. There are more fights and prisoners are more disrespectful to prison officers. ``There's a risk of anarchy.''

The source said the atmosphere became particularly tense when prisoners had to be locked in their cells and dormitories because of lack of staff.

``Sometimes it's only for an hour or two, but it can be many hours.''

A new low-security centre is being built at the Darwin prison.

Work is expected to finish in September on the centre, which will house up to 150 remand prisoners.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Sat, 04 June 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Nigel Adlam
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283