The recent findings by the Office of the Custodial Inspector highlight systemic abuses within the Tasmanian Prison Service (TPS) that cannot be ignored. The government’s failure to hold accountable those responsible for the gross neglect and maltreatment of prisoners is unacceptable. The incident where a medical officer, acting in the best interest of a prisoner who had swallowed a razor blade, was banned from the prison for recommending extended hospital care is a stark reminder of the TPS’s disregard for human life and professional medical advice. ‘This deliberate ignorance jeopardises the health and well-being of prisoners and underscores the system’s view of prisoners as disposable,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Members of the National Network are sick of waking up to yet another news story highlighting the prison system’s brutalisation of prisoners. When will it end?’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘We can tell you: it will end the day we start to abolish the cages and begin to imagine a world free of punishment and exile. It will change the day we stop warehousing humans and start to focus on a world centred on abundance, healing, and safety for all,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘The revelation that some prisoners have resorted to pulling out their own teeth due to woefully inadequate dental care is a horrifying indicator of the dehumanising conditions within the prison,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘How can anyone read this and not argue for the wholesale annihilation of the system?’ said Debbie Kilroy.
These atrocities are not isolated to Tasmania; they reflect a pervasive issue across the entire prison system in every state and territory. ‘These prisoners’ stories are our prison stories,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘While the National Network demands that the Tasmanian government hold those accountable for the way the correctional services have acted in this most recent instance of barbarity – the way they ignored medical advice, the way they jeopardised the health and well-being of the prisoners; reinforcing the fact that the system cares little for our humanity or our lives – let us not lose sight of the broader issue, this is not just a Tasmanian government issue,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘This is an entire prison industrial system issue. These issues are replicated across every state and territory. It is high time we address the mass imprisonment crisis in this country, with the urgency and seriousness it demands,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
As a National Network, we call upon the Tasmanian government and all responsible authorities to implement the recommendations of the Office of the Custodial Inspector immediately. Furthermore, we demand an overhaul of the prison system that prioritises human dignity, health, and rehabilitation over punishment and exile. The current model has failed. It’s time to imagine and build a world centred on healing and safety for all.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226.
