Cocaine, assaults ignite new calls to return Adelaide city prison to public control
A prisoner caught with cocaine and assaults on prison officers have triggered renewed calls to stop Adelaide Remand Centre from being privately managed.
Three correctional officers were assaulted last week at the Adelaide Remand Centre on Currie Street and faced a concerning cocaine possession incident in late January, the union representing correction officers claimed.
Public Service Association secretary Charlotte Watson claimed the cocaine incident was symptomatic of “chronic understaffing” by multinational prison operator Serco that has operated the Adelaide Remand Centre since the contract was privatised in 2019.
The remand centre is one of two South Australian prisons that are privately owned, Mount Gambier Prison is operated by G4S Custodial Services.
In January, an inmate arriving at the Yatala Labor Prison, after transferring from the remand centre, was found in possession of 10 grams of cocaine, worth $3000, the Public Service Association (PSA) said.
Watson said the weight of cocaine found on the inmate “would make Diego Maradona blush” and was the “tip of the iceberg”. Soccer player Maradona was known for his struggles with cocaine use.
A government spokesperson confirmed there were two incidents last week at the remand centre, where three correctional officers assaulted, two of them hospitalised.
It was understood that the injuries were not serious, and two of the officers returned to work the same day.
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The union claimed that to fulfil Serco’s contract, the remand centre needed about 33 staff to run its eight accommodation units and other services, but had been informed that on some days there were as few as 15 to 20 staff.
Correctional Services Minister Rhiannon Pearce disputed the claim over staffing numbers saying she was advised by the department that staffing levels at the Adelaide Remand Centre were “currently at an appropriate level”.
An Adelaide Remand Centre spokesperson said it is “operating as normal with the safety and security of the facility our highest priority, always”.
“It is common practice for Correctional Officers to be deployed between states and territories through secondment opportunities,” the spokesperson said.
“The Adelaide Remand Centre takes assaults extremely seriously and all matters are reported to SAPOL. The officers involved are being provided support.”
The incidents have led to the PSA calling for the next government to return the Adelaide Remand Centre to public hands and end the current contract with Serco, which is due to expire in June, 2026.
When prison management was outsourced to Serco in 2019 under the Marshall Liberal Government, Serco said in its announcement that the contract was worth $115 million over seven years.
PSA secretary Charlotte Watson said the issue was “urgent” and “whoever wins the next election will have to deal with this on day one in office.”
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“Assaults on corrections officers and chronic understaffing has made Serco’s continuing management of the Adelaide Remand Centre untenable,” Watson said.
“It’s not rocket science, it’s a business model, every time Serco doesn’t roster the prison properly they save money on payroll and trouser more profit, but it’s corrections officers, prisoners and ultimately the public who pays the price.
“Our correctional officers are calling on all the major parties to commit to returning Adelaide Remand Centre to public hands ahead of the upcoming state election, they must promise to end this failed experiment.”
When asked if the Liberals would return the Remand Centre to public hands, Liberal corrections spokesperson Jack Batty did not commit to the demand but said his party would prioritise safety for inmates and staff.
“Not content with losing control of law and order in our streets and suburbs, this government is now presiding over a prison system plagued by drugs and violence,” Batty said.
“It’s not good enough – and a Liberal government will ensure all of our corrections facilities are safe for inmates and staff alike.”
Correctional Services Minister Rhiannon Pearce said a re-elected Malinauskas Government “will continue to monitor the performance of government contractors and whether they continue to provide the best value for money for South Australian taxpayers”.
“The Malinauskas Government remains committed to ensuring all South Australian prisons are appropriately managed and operate with the safety and security of both prisoners and staff as the utmost priority,” Pearce said.
“This includes the Adelaide Remand Centre, which the SA Liberals privatised in 2019.
“Correctional officers perform a vital role in keeping the South Australian community safe and deserve to come to work without the risk of violence. Any assault on staff is completely unacceptable and is reported to SAPOL.
“The state government has strengthened penalties to up to 15 years imprisonment to reflect the seriousness of these attacks, the same as applies for assaulting an emergency services worker.
“The state government provided an extra $6.8 million in the last State Budget to improve security in our prisons including for new high-tech security scanners, new body scanners and cameras with built-in Artificial Intelligence.”
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