Claims mentally distressed Yatala prisoner ‘gassed’ as strike continues
Claims a “distressed” prisoner at Yatala Labour Prison has been gassed, as prison strike action escalates across the state. The Attorney General slammed the ongoing action.
A prisoner at Yatala Labour Prison was allegedly gassed, subdued and detained following an escalation of the current South Australian corrections officer strike that has seen prisoners in lockdown since Monday morning.
The state’s Department of Corrections confirmed “there was an isolated incident involving a prisoner at Yatala Labour Prison”.
“The prisoner presented in a mentally distressed state and staff responded appropriately,” the Corrections Department spokeswoman said.
Legal Rights Advocate Dan Vansetten claimed the prisoner “was banging on the walls and screaming to be let out of the cell, and the response from the prison was to send in the tactical response group.”
He alleged the responders used “gas to subdue him, and then detained him and removed him and took him to solitary confinement.”
On Wednesday morning, Yatala Labour Prison workers voted to continue striking indefinitely, joining Murray Bridge and Port Lincoln prison officers striking indefinitely until the state government boost pay rates and lift staff numbers, according to the Public Services Association (PSA).
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Vansetten also told InDaily that prisoners were concerned about deteriorating conditions in the prisons, where inmates in certain units with no in-cell shower facilities were allegedly without access to general hygiene facilities.
“There’s particular wings within those units where prisoners only get one change of clothes, that’s the clothes they’re wearing. And then when they go and have a shower, they get a new set of clothes to change into,” he said.
“If they’re not going for showers, they’re also not getting a change of clean clothes. So they’ve been wearing these clothes for three days straight. Same jocks, same T-shirts.”
Correctional Services Department Chief Executive David Brown said on Wednesday prisons were continuing to carry out essential services and “the safety and welfare of prisoners in our care is our paramount concern”.
On Thursday, Sheriffs and Department of Public Prosecution lawyers joined corrections officers on strike, resulting in closed courts and the Attorney General criticising the union for creating chaos in the South Australian Justice System.
“I’ve never before seen the leadership of a union publicly celebrate that their industrial action is interfering with the operation of the justice system,” the Attorney General Kyam Maher said.
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“The PSA’s industrial action is deeply irresponsible and the government calls on the PSA to put the interests of victims of crime first and end this action immediately.
“The PSA’s actions stand in stark contrast to other public sector unions which have acted responsibly to minimise the effect of industrial action on people who rely on government services.”
He said the government has been negotiating in good faith throughout the year and the PSA’s demand for a 20 per cent wage rise over only 18 months was “not consistent with responsible budget management”.
The strikes – now in their fourth day – has forced magistrates, district, supreme and high courts across SA into closure, significantly disrupting court proceedings.
A statement from the State Courts Administrator advised that “industrial action will impact court operations on Thursday 11 December 2025”
The state government say negotiations will continue and the union is meeting with the treasurer on Thursday at 12pm.
“We are very determined to make sure that our general public sector workers and corrections officers, amongst others, are getting real wage increases” the Premier told ABC.
He told the ABC the government was committed to “resolving that as quickly as we can” and had to ensure it took a sustainable fiscal position.
PSA Secretary Charlotte Watson said: “We’ve warned the Premier (that) correction officers, lawyers and sheriff officers who keep this state’s justice system running have had enough of being ignored.”
“We’ve had no other option. The government refuses to listen,” she said.
“While the SA Justice System has been collapsing the Premier has been jetting off to Sydney to strut on the national stage.”
