Still no solution to decades-long prison transport debate

The police union has argued for decades that police should not be responsible for court security or out of hours prisoner transport, and the corrections union has jumped onboard, demanding a change.

In just one example this month, North-West police were contacted late one afternoon with a request to transport prisoners, removing one officer from duty for more than four hours, and forcing another officer to work five hours overtime.

A few weeks earlier, four police officers were responsible for transporting and guarding three people in custody at the Burnie Court Complex out of hours, with the support of one prison guard.

Once the alleged offenders were remanded, they had to be transported by police to Launceston in two divisional vans, rendering both police vehicles out of action until the early hours of the following morning. Police Association of Tasmania president Colin Riley said officers were being overworked and put at risk to complete a task for another department.

"It is about the wellbeing of members working with reduced numbers and no rest," Mr Riley said.

"We are already doing additional tasks for COVID-19, and road fatalities are higher than normal. Having police tied up doing administrative tasks for other government agencies is not the best use of their time."

It was understood the Department of Justice was continuing to have conversations with the police department in relation to prisoner transport and court security, as well as the United Workers Union, which represents correctional officers.

"A Memorandum of Understanding is currently in place between the Department of Justice and the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management to deliver transport services for prisoners to North-West courts," a Justice Department spokesman said.

"The Department of Justice continues to investigate future arrangements that will relieve police of this responsibility and plans to remove police from duties in North-West courts are progressing."

UWU public sector coordinator Paul Blackmore said the union was pushing for the role to be taken over by qualified correctional staff, and not contract security workers.

Mr Blackmore said the Tasmanian Prison Service was "already very understaffed", and more correctional officers would need to be recruited to fill prison transport roles.

"United Workers Union members have met with the Department of Justice to outline their views on what would be required to safely staff this service," he said.

"Taking on this task would require sufficient numbers of fully trained and experienced correctional officers. Reception into prison and appearance at court is a stressful time for prisoners and only correctional officers are specially trained to handle these situations," he said.

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