Minister for Corrections, Shane Rattenbury, today announced changes to visiting arrangements at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) designed to maximise the number of detainees in each visitation session and develop a more efficient schedule for visits.
“The new arrangements will allow ACT Corrective Services to facilitate visits for up to 18 detainees each session instead of the current 16, but will see a reduction in the number of days available for visits from 6 days per week to 5 days per week which will offer modest savings for ACT Corrective Services,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“The ACT will continue to have the highest visitor allowance for detainees than any other State or Territory in Australia, with many other jurisdictions limiting visits to weekends and public holidays only.
“The AMC facilitates on average, over 13,000 visits per year, and it is important that we continue to maintain the important connections detainees have with friends and family in the community. These connections can be a powerful motivator for detainees to participate in rehabilitation, education and training programs.
“Not only will the number of detainees able access visits at any one time increase, the time frames for some current sessions will also be extended,” he said.
The new changes commence on 1 July. Visits to the AMC can be scheduled by detainee’s family and friends from Wednesday to Sunday each week. Detainees will also still be permitted to have visits from legal and professional representatives 7 days a week.
(Media Release – Shane Rattenbury MLA)
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