Violence, self-harm and assaults on staff soar as human rights advocates warn state is ‘heading down the path of California’

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Human rights advocates have blamed prison overcrowding and draconian sentencing for alarming rises in deaths, incidents of self-harm and assaults in Victoria’s prisons.

Figures released in the state’s Department of Justice annual report show that 13 people died while in custody in 2012-13, up from four the year prior.

Meanwhile, incidents of self-harm have soared, with eight out of every 100 prisoners harming themselves in the past year – double the rate of 2008.

Assaults on prisoners by other prisoners hit a new high, with 18 prisoners in every 100 experiencing violence. Assaults on staff climbed to four for every 100 prisoners, nearly double that of five years ago.

In recent years, the Victorian government has looked to toughen up sentences for certain offenders, expanded electronic tracking of those released into the community and, most recently, tightened up the parole regime in the wake of the Jill Meagher murder.

But critics claim that these policies have resulted in overcrowding, pointing to a recent report by the state ombudsman that warned Victorian jails were operating at three times their capacity.

“This is a trend that will only get worse due to policies that really need to be reconsidered,” said Hugh de Kretser, executive director of the Human Rights Law Centre. “We speak to people who have tried to get mental health help in prison but are denied access due to the problems caused by overcrowding.

“The net effect is a lack of humane conditions for prisoners, but also a less safe community because these people are released without getting those essential services to help them stop reoffending.

“Broadly speaking, I’d say overcrowding increases the triggers to deaths in custody. There is more difficulty in managing volatile situations when you can’t move prisoners between cells, so you see an increase in assaults.

“The system is at capacity but the government is accelerating prison numbers because of a so-called tough on crime approach. We are heading down the path of California when it comes to prison conditions and reoffending.”

Edward O’Donohue, Victoria’s corrections minister, had not responded for a request for comment at the time of publication.