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November 28, 2018 14:51:26
It was enough for one hour for a mattress lit in a cell at Greenough Regional Jail, at 4 pm, to turn into a full riot involving dozens of prisoners, which resulted in Escape of 10 dangerous inmates.
A report of the July 24 incident made public today contains chilling detailed transcripts of distress calls from inmates after men armed with improvised oil bombs and power tools , burst into the women's wing at the height of chaos.
An inmate called the police from inside the prison and told them that she was hiding under an office because male prisoners were entering women's cells.
"They are burning the place, they are burning the unit and are driving us out of here," said one inmate during a recorded call to penitentiary staff.
"Please, come here for me … I'm so scared … whatever you like, help me," said another before hitting, screaming and screaming. cause further destruction in the background for several minutes.
A barrel of tension explodes
Independent inspector Jan Shuard said in the report that he was happy that no one was killed and that staff, prisoners and the public were not seriously injured.
The report concluded that there was not a single "spark" that sparked the riot and the resulting escape, but rather a culmination of factors that created a barrel of tension.
It appears that the lack of staff meant that in recent months, detainees were regularly and increasingly numerous to be placed in solitary confinement, confined in units and cells with activities of work, education and training. programmed recreation canceled.
July 24 was no different, with seven prison staff below what had been planned for the day.
Shortly after the fire, dozens of prisoners started throwing stones and a broken roadway at the staff, and several prisoners reached the roof in the midst of chaos.
These men then broke into a maintenance shed where they grabbed an unsecured angle grinder and two ladders, which they used to exit the facility.
The staff is armed with knives
The report revealed that there had been an unacceptable delay in securing the perimeter of the prison after the outbreak of the riot.
What followed was one of the largest manhunts in the state, with hundreds of police and specialized units deployed to rescue the escapees and provide security. from the community.
The 10 men have been recaptured and charged since.
While the 10 inmates escaped, riots forced a number of staff members to retire, some armed with knives while waiting for a relief.
The detainees had access to garden sheds and technical rooms and were armed with gasoline, chemicals, shovels, forks, screwdrivers, power tools and riot batons.
In the middle of the riot, 100 prisoners imprisoned in their cells had to be evacuated into an oval after the smoke in their unit – after one of the many fires – put their lives in danger.
After police forces from Geraldton and Perth, as well as firefighters, were brought in to help, the order was finally reinstated at around 4 am. The last prisoners were secured between 6 am and 2 pm after the start of the first fire. .
Ms. Shuard stated that although the staff has few resources, Washington State Police members should be commended for their efforts to restore order. before anyone is seriously hurt.
"This is a credit to Greenough staff, who methodically secured surrendered prisoners and evacuated areas when they became dangerous, in a chaotic and complex situation involving numerous incidents," he said. she declared.
"We must salute their defensive actions, as well as the quick reaction of the Washington State Police and their apprehension of the escapees."
Staff shortages exacerbated the problems
Although Ms. Shuard pointed out that the report was not meant to blame the incident, it revealed five factors.
The first was the increasing frequency of locks in the facility from March 2018.
"This has resulted in constant uncertainty and disruption of routines for staff and prisoners, as well as increasing limitations of access to work, recreation and services, which have created frustration, disengagement and boredom among prisoners" , says the report.
The second factor, which has led to lockdowns, is the increasing regularity of staff shortages in a "tight fiscal context".
The report also revealed that the focus on infrastructure and security in Greenough had decreased, exacerbated by staff shortages, which directly contributed to the magnitude of the incident.
There was a lack of targeted engagement with the 70% of the prison's indigenous population. Ms. Shuard also highlighted the lack of risk management structures and a breakdown in communication.
Ms. Shuard emphasized that the inmates involved should also be held accountable for their own actions.
"It is also true that responsibility for the critical incident also lies with the prisoners themselves."
"Prisoners who have chosen to provoke or participate in the riot, to destroy property, to destroy units, to fire, to attack personnel and / or to escape are individually responsible for their own illegal actions and are held to account, "she said.
Casual officer pool recommended
The extensive report contained 11 recommendations.
The first was to review staffing arrangements, including ensuring that all posts were filled during short and long-term absences, as well as the creation of a group of casual prison officers. to fill vacancies.
We also recommended:
- Daily and weekly limits of locks;
- Better access to employment, education programs and exercise equipment;
- Secure storage of objects such as tools, scales and drugs;
- A redesign of emergency management plans and models, prison monitoring and governance; and
- Extended Services to Aboriginal Inmates
Another main recommendation was that women's facilities in Greenough be created as a completely separate and purpose-built prison in a prison.
Union blames Superintendent
The secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union, Andy Smith, said the information contained in the report was accurate, but nothing was known yet.
"We were aware of all the conditions that led to the riot," he said.
"We actually, as has been accurately reported, warned the department, even a few hours before the riot, that persistent coping regimes and lack of staff meant that we were locking up prisoners and that it would create agitation and certainly increase the temperature in the prison. "
He added that the department could have prevented the incident by ensuring that the prison has sufficient staff.
"It's underfunded and it means a lack of staff," he said.
"We need staff to fill the positions, and overtime is the only way to get people to fill the vacancies.
"Before the riots began, the superintendent had methods … the superintendent had the means to increase the number of people he was calling in overtime and the choice was made not to exercise it." . "
Topics:
law-crime-and-justice
prisons and punishments,
laws,
Government and politics,
Perth 6000,
Washington,
Greenough-6532
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