A South Australian minister has defended the security of the state's prisons after an inmate walked out of a prerelease centre and returned two hours later carrying several bottles of alcohol.
Incident at Adelaide Women's Prison
Last week, an inmate at Adelaide Women's Prison left the facility's prerelease centre unaccompanied. After two hours, she returned to the centre with multiple bottles of alcohol, raising serious concerns about security protocols.
Minister's Response
On Thursday, Minister for Correctional Services Michael Brown faced questions in parliament about the incident. He described it as an isolated event and insisted that South Australia's prisons remain secure.
“I can assure the people of South Australia that their correctional service provides absolute protection for the community at large,” Mr Brown said. “I do not want to downplay things, one person being absent from a correctional facility is a problem, that is why there is a review under way. But we are talking about somebody from a prerelease minimum security centre being absent for two hours. Let's not overblow things and alarm the community unnecessarily.”
Opposition Concerns
Opposition correctional services spokesman Tim Whetstone questioned what other items could be smuggled in, including weapons. “What measures are in place that would prevent an inmate sneaking back in with a weapon? This is not the first time a prisoner has been able to escape – I think this is about the second in six months,” he said.
Mr Brown responded: “I can assure the House, proper security provisions are in place and a review is currently under way after this incident occurred.”
The incident has prompted a review of security procedures at the Adelaide Women's Prison, with authorities working to prevent future breaches.
