Crowded jail saga

I REFER to Gary Meyerhoff's letter "Toyne must go" (Northern Territory News, September 16).

You have been comnpletely misinformed with your comment that Berrimah Prison has been overcrowded for months - it has been that way for years.

Back in the days when Fannie Bay Jail was operational, overcrowding and short-staffing were out of control. Prison officers went on strike to get a fence put up after it was destroyed by Cyclone Tracy. They also went on strike to get cell blocks rebuilt after the blocks were damaged by Cyclone Tracy.

Because they were so short-staffed, rostered days-off were unheard of, to get a day off an officer had to call in sick.

Prison officers had to go on strike for four days in order to get extra staff, after four days management turned up with eight new officers, two were overnight transfers from the police force.

It was an undisputed fact that the NT Government needed a new prison but it didn't happen until a camera was smuggled into Fannie Bay Jail and photographs were taken of the appalling conditions of prisoners.

They were sent to a Human Rights Organisation that forced the CLP Government to build a new prison, otherwise Berrimah Prison would not exist today.

On the day that Berrimah became operational they were 30 beds short, storerooms had to be stripped out and turned into dormitories with portable toilets.

Over the years, workshops and hobby rooms have all been stripped and turned into dormitories.

A.G. Piper
Winnellie

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Fri, 21 October 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: A.G. Piper (letter to the editor)
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/