VIC: Kennett to consider new jail after Fulham stand off

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-1999
VIC: Kennett to consider new jail after Fulham stand off

By Krista Hughes and Royal Abbott

MELBOURNE, Aug 19 AAP - Prison officers used tear gas to end a three-hour stand-off at a
Victorian jail where inmates protesting against possible overcrowding refused to return to
their cells.

The flare-up at Fulham Prison, near Sale in eastern Victoria, last night followed concerns
about overcrowding in state jails and Premier Jeff Kennett today flagged a new 600-bed jail to
ease pressure on the system.

With the prison population approaching 3,000 and police lock-ups full, Mr Kennett said the
government was trying to deal with the "bottleneck" caused by trying to fit people on remand
into jails already full of inmates serving time.

Correctional Services Commissioner Penny Armytage said the medium-security Fulham Prison
had agreed to take 60 extra prisoners over the next six weeks to relieve pressure on police
cells.

Some prisoners had volunteered to share cells with the newcomers but rumours spooked some
of the inmates and at 9.30pm yesterday prisoners in two units refused to be locked in for the
night.

A mattress was burned in one of the cells, and tables, toilet seats and door fittings were
damaged before guards moved in with tear gas at about midnight to disperse the 30-odd
remaining prisoners.

Ms Armytage said no-one was seriously injured, but some prisoners had scratches.

She said the ringleaders would be moved to other jails.

Mr Kennett told radio 3AW today he would consider a new prison if numbers kept growing.

"If the courts are going to do what the public want them to do, and people are convicted
and they are given jail terms and the population doesn't drop, we are obviously going to need
a new facility," he said.

Victoria's prison population currently numbers 2,955, and the government has said a rise to
3,000 might justify a new prison.

Opposition corrections spokesman Andre Haermeyer said double-bunking was "a recipe for
tension" and warned the Fulham scenario could be repeated at other jails.

The government had ignored concerns raised by the prison officers' union as recently as
last week about safety issues with the transfer of prisoners from police cells to jails.

In a letter dated last Friday, Ms Armytage wrote that full regard was being given to the
safety of inmates and staff and she was satisfied "service delivery standards (would) continue
to be met".

AAP kmh/er/it/br

KEYWORD: FULHAM NIGHTLEAD

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