Prison officers have detailed the "toxic" environment of the Launceston Reception Prison and described how a lack of internal investigations, staff shortages and dysfunctional mental health services had impacted prison staff.
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A Tasmanian and Civil Tribunal hearing in Launceston this week to determine if Michael Ronald Eade had been fairly dismissed from his job revealed some troubling circumstances surrounding the LRP environment.
One employee of the LRP gave evidence within the hearing and said he raised concerns about a suicidal inmate who had been brought to jail and was told not to worry.
"The comment was, it was believed he was safe in Launceston and less likely to harm himself than he was in Hobart," he said.
The employee said last year, the inmate almost killed himself as a result of a ligature and was 30-60 seconds away from dying in custody.
He said he never received any useful or productive responses when he raised concerns about the inmate's mental health.
He said another employee who was working when the inmate tried to kill himself hadn't been able to return to work and said employees did not have any formalised counselling and support processes.
The employee mentioned an internal MATES program set up to support officers but described the program as "detrimental".
"I've heard officers talk and someone will say something about an incident, and someone else will bring up a similar set of circumstances. It's not addressing that incident. In some ways, it is making it more complex.
While giving evidence, the employee also said he was aware of an incident where a correctional officer had assaulted a staff member and received a six-month pay reduction.
He said he also knew of an incident where an officer had hogtied an inmate and received no consequences for his actions.
"I believe there was no investigation and nothing happened to them," he said.
"I was asked to check on his well-being and told the officer that the inmate's handcuffs were too tight and had a lack of circulation in his feet."
The employee also detailed a time when his shoulder had been ripped to shreds by an inmate who was in a drug-induced psychosis.
He said he received a radio call from the control room to provide the inmate with medication and an officer opened the cell door instead of a cell hatch.
"He came out, grabbed my arm, and tore every tendon. I was told it was going to be almost impossible to repair. So I stopped work and had two arm reconstructions," he said.
When asked if the incident had been investigated, the employee replied no.
"I got reports of the officers involved, and later I discovered that one of the officers wasn't an officer at all. They were a recruit. My understanding was the cell door should not have been undone.
He said he was never spoken to by anyone regarding the incident. "I didn't even get a message".
Employees detail LRP environment
Another employee who had been working in the prison for 14 years said the workload within the LRP had increased significantly and that staff were "unable to cope".
A former employee of the LRP described the environment within the LRP as "toxic", "aggressive", "violent" and "confronting".
During his time as an employee he said he witnessed a number of staff members not doing their jobs properly and came across a lot of disgruntled people who were carrying the workload of other employees.
He said there was a "lack of effective leadership within the department" and said there was a "lack of support from senior managers and supervisors".
A separate current employee said frequent changes of staff led to inconsistencies and a breakdown in communication which would lead to confusion.
He described an incident within the LRP where an officer had confided within the MATES program that was meant to be confidential, however, news of the officer's problems became public.
He said the officer had his trust betrayed and because of that instance, he would not use the internal program.
"I came into the job later in life and had a fair amount of life experience, but the things you see in prison, the general public have no idea," he said.
The man said he has seen instances of inmates covering themselves in faeces, as well as numerous suicide attempts.
"I often wish we had better mental health care," he said. The employee detailed instances of officers in tears, collapsing, and employees being subjected to bullying.
Director responds
The Director of Prisons, Ian Thomas, said the job of prison officers was to keep inmates safe and secure.
"Officers are described as the front-facing elements of the Tasmania Prison Service, and make up the bulk of our staff and deliver a 24/7 service," Mr Thomas said.
Mr Thomas was asked if he was aware of the incident which happened in 2018, to which he replied "I can't remember off the top of my head".
"There certainly would have been an internal review of the incident initially at the time by the Manager of the Launceston Prison and then escalated at the appropriate time.
"A review and determination would have been made as to whether it needs to go to a more formal investigation. It could have gone to a formal investigation but I certainly am not aware of it.
When asked if he was aware if an internal investigation had been made regarding the attempted suicide incident, said he expected that the officer who was first on scene would have been spoken to.
Mr Thomas said the LRP had started to recruit more staff, and the current staff of 35 people, would be supported by an extra 7 staff.
Satria Dyer-Darmawan
Satria Dyer-Darmawan is a journalist for The Examiner and considers himself to be an all rounder. Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Satria has worked in Alice Springs and North Queensland and isn't afraid to immerse himself in regional communities.
Satria Dyer-Darmawan is a journalist for The Examiner and considers himself to be an all rounder. Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Satria has worked in Alice Springs and North Queensland and isn't afraid to immerse himself in regional communities.
