18 March 2009

Prison A-OK and opening this month?

| johnboy
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The ACT’s Minister for Corrections, John Hargreaves, is hitting back at recent criticism of his officially open prisoner-free prison (aka the Alexander Maconochie Centre).

    “As Mr Hanson is well aware, the Alexander Maconochie Centre’s security system has been subject to independent and continual assessment since the inception of the project,” Mr Hargreaves said.

    “This has been performed by a company, Webb Australia Group, which has extensive experience with the design and commissioning of security systems at many prisons across Australia. Some of these prisons include SEQ1 and SEQW, Lotus Glen Correctional Centre, Rockhampton Correctional Centre in Queensland and Ararat Correctional Centre in Victoria.

    “Webb has been heavily involved in developing the specifications for the security system and now in ensuring the prison meets these specifications. Indeed the very reason for the delay in the completion of the AMC has been to ensure the security system is safe for the public, safe for staff and safe for prisoners.

Mr Hargreaves also makes the point that another security audit will mean continuing the conditions within his corrections service, so widely criticised to date. Which doesn’t inspire much confidence if one thinks about it.

What he doesn’t repeat in this statement is the comment made to the ABC that the AMC will be actually housing inmates “before the end of the month”.

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Jerrabomberrians are always worried. If not the prison, then flight paths, the sterility of their suburb, what to do when the daughter doesn’t want to go to ballet classes..

Shouldn’t they be called Jerrabomerraniains?

kobez_outlaw1:13 am 20 Mar 09

They could set a Prison Break in Canberra. The episode could be during ad’s of another show and it could just show a man walking out the doors. I can see this gaol being a problem in the future lol. Jerrabomberrians should be worried.

I read and heard that it was housing medium security?

i believe rapists and serial offenders were mentioned!

This Gaol has been political suicide, like many other ACT government ventures. Yet they still get voted in. I mentioned ACT politics to Brisbane MP and he laughed at me! That was a shock.

Next venture is the Data storage center and power plant!
bring it on!

proofpositive1:08 pm 19 Mar 09

Prison opening at the end of the month? If they are a day late it would sound like an April Fools prank to me

Mike Crowther9:43 am 19 Mar 09

Not that the public will ever find out, but my bet is that the new gaol state (population) will comprise two elderly rockspiders, a computer fraudster and a developmentally delayed serial shoplifter. The media will herald the gaol as ‘open’, publish a photo of the Vans gping through the gate and the Govt will decline to comment on the state due for ‘security reasons’. We can then move along to the next disaster.

(Actually Digga most people that commit murder give the system no trouble at all. It’s the wannabes and plastic gangsters that really test a system.)

Yes that’s correct, all security classifications, male and female, are to be housed in the AMC. The gaol has differing accommodation for the different classifications.

Yebut I think Jon is planning to bring home all the prisoners around the country who have been locked up for crimes in other states.

What sort get custodial sentences in this town Digga?

Anyone know what kind of “risk” prisoners are expected to be housed at the AMC? Is it petty crime-types who’ve nicked a loaf of bread from the local Woolies or murderers and rapists?

I’m happy to say I did not.

Ever notice that when either this guy or Stanclown are queried by the opposition they get nasty in their counters rather than throw up some reasonable politicking?

Whats the bet they’ll stick a handful of low risk prisoners in come hell or high water just to say they met the deadline, regardless of whether the security system is ok or not?

S4anta said :

There is. If you were to entomb each prisoner in 3m square block of concrete they would be secure and present no risk to the community whatsoever.

These prisoners have human rights.

The ealier comment, to remain accurate in context, is now “There’s no such thing as 100% secure and Human Rights Compliant.”

S4anta said :

There is. If you were to entomb each prisoner in 3m square block of concrete they would be secure and present no risk to the community whatsoever.

Unless the concrete block was not properly secured to its mode of conveyance after being produced… and, surely, if Mr. Hargreaves is running the operation, it would most certainly not be properly secured!

Was this released before or after lunch?

Hic!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Agreed. Security is about risk management. There’s no such thing as 100% secure.

There is. If you were to entomb each prisoner in 3m square block of concrete they would be secure and present no risk to the community whatsoever.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy4:21 pm 18 Mar 09

Agreed. Security is about risk management. There’s no such thing as 100% secure.

I found this line in the ABC article particularly amusing:

He says when it does begin taking prisoners it will be 100 per cent secure.

Only someone who’s never ever dealt with security would ever make such a ludicrous claim.

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