Vic prisons — indictment of privatisation

The Kennett Government's approach to prisons was the same as 
with all public enterprises and infrastructure — they can and 
should be privately owned and operated. As such it was seen by 
conservative forces as a model for the rest of Australia.

The electoral revolt against the Coalition Government was, in a 
large part, a rejection by the Victorian people of this 
privatisation policy, a rejection of "economic rationalism", 
which has emasculated services and jobs for one shallow 
objective: private profit.

The private prison system is a prime example of this.

Kennett's promises on privatisation were always the same: better 
services at less cost to government. This "everyone's a winner" 
argument was always couched in economic terms. It did not take 
into account the human factors, the actual treatment of 
prisoners.

A few years down the track, it is apparent that private prisons 
are a serious failure.

Recent media reports have highlighted the large number of 
suicides at Port Phillip private prison, one of Victoria's three 
new private prisons. An inquest into the suicides is currently 
under way.

As part of the inquest, a government review found that the prison 
was not following required suicide prevention procedures. The 
review found that the prison complied with only eight of the 17 
required procedures.

These details only now come to light after "too many" prisoners 
have died. At other times, what goes on behind private prison 
walls is not open to public scrutiny because the Kennett 
Government-appointed prison monitors do not have to report to 
Parliament.

Part of the alleged lack of supervision has been blamed on staff 
cuts. Staff have been replaced with video cameras and other forms 
of electronic security systems that continually monitor where 
prisoners are.

Electronic monitoring, however, fails to deliver the person-to-
person human contact between prison officer and prisoner that can 
detect the warning signs of suicide. Fewer staff, means less 
human relationship between officers and prisoners and, 
consequently, a more isolated and oppressive environment.

Why doesn't the private employer simply put on more staff? 
Because fewer staff allows the company running the prison to save 
on labour costs. Labour costs have also been saved because the 
staff's pay and conditions have been reduced from what they were 
in the public prison system.

Tougher sentencing laws were introduced that would ensure the 
prisons were never short of inmates. However, these laws have 
proved to be too effective at increasing the prison population 
and the private prisons, not coping with the extra numbers, have 
had to build pre-fabricated "temporary" accommodation.

Another product of Kennett's privatisation paradise was the 
introduction of commercial confidentiality. This was to ensure 
that the amount the Government paid in its contracts to the 
private companies was kept secret. Suddenly the public had no 
right to know what deals were being struck behind closed doors or 
where public money was going and how much.

Kennett's promises of transparency have proven to be worth 
nothing. When community legal groups took on the Government to 
force the release of the details of its prison contracts, the 
Government fought, and eventually lost, an expensive legal battle 
to stop the details from being released to the public.

The issue of commercial confidentiality was not just about 
transparency; it was about shifting public perceptions about the 
role of government and about public ownership.

The long-held belief that the state has certain responsibilities 
towards the security and well being of the people and to provide 
services was being replaced with commercial rules — services are 
commodities that are for sale to consumers.

The backlash against Kennett has struck a blow against economic 
rationalism, but has not arrested it.

For his "service" to the community, many Victorians would be 
happy to see Kennett take a well-earned rest inside one of his 
private prisons and the key thrown away on economic rationalism.

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