Defunct jail open again as NT prison numbers soar

A notorious prison in the NT that has been described as only “fit for a bulldozer” is again housing adult prisoners as inmate numbers soar.

And advocates for a better system have called on governments and agencies to condemn the “forced relocation of women and children”.

Sisters Inside founder Debbie Kilroy said the Northern Territory justice system had reached breaking point.

Fifty adult prisoners have been moved to the defunct Berrimah jail, which was decommissioned in 2012, to manage an increase in the prison population.

Since October, young people from across the NT, including Alice Springs, have been moved into the new Holtz Youth Detention Centre next to the high-security adult jail in Darwin.

The Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre is being used to house women prisoners from across the NT, which has concerned legal and advocacy groups.

Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said the number of people on remand in jail had increased by hundreds since the August election, causing further pressure on both prisons and police watch houses.

He said up to 80 people were kept for weeks on mattresses on the floor in police holding cells at Palmerston watch house, which was no different to conditions in Alice Springs and Katherine.

“‘I’ve already said numbers are higher than I’d like, but we’re responding to police activity and we’re responding to the expectations of the community,” Mr Varley said.

“Yes, they are on mattresses on the floor; no, they’re not inhumane conditions.”

AAP