Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Dame Phyllis Frost Centre

Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (19:29): (1648) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Corrections, and the action I seek is for lockdowns at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre to immediately cease. Community legal services and support services have raised concerns on multiple occasions with the department about these lockdowns, which have become increasingly frequent. The facility claims that this is not due to staff shortages, but rather because of a change in administration processes and rostering. The impact of prison lockdowns and solitary confinement is well understood. It has a negative impact on social and emotional wellbeing and in some instances can be life-threatening. Due to these lockdowns, programs, calls and visits continue to be disrupted, with little to no notice. This includes legal and medical appointments.

In line with the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Yoorrook Justice Commission, solitary confinement in prisons needs to end. Despite these concerns being raised with the relevant secretary and commissioner, as of today there has been no change to the frequency of lockdowns or commitment to reform. So far in the month of May alone there have been 11 days of reported lockdowns at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. Compounding these concerns is a disturbing lack of data, including the facility’s own failure to distinguish between a 15-minute and an all-day lockdown. At the moment the most thorough record keeping is not being done by unit staff or the department but by the women being held at the facility.

There is a clear need for truthful and accurate information on (1) the frequency and cause of the recent increase in lockdowns in 2025, (2) strategies and solutions currently in place to address this immediately and in the long term, (3) the classification of lockdowns as ‘partial’ or ‘full’ as well as factors considered when commencing them, (4) precautions in place to ensure there is access to culturally safe supports during lockdowns and (5) data and assurances on the provision of services. There must also be more fulsome and accurate data and evidence that data collection practices will be altered immediately. These practices must capture reasons and decision-making criteria, a list of all units locked down and the number of women impacted in each, including the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and the length of time of each lockdown. So I ask: will the minister immediately cease lockdowns at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre?