Lawyers based in the Northern Territory claim they are frequently denied access to visit their inmates within prisons, leading to an accumulation of cases in courtrooms and preventing accused individuals from receiving proper legal counsel.
The prison population within the territory has hit all-time peaks in recent months , leaving correctional staff and police officers to handle overpopulated prisons. police watch houses .
The union that represents Northern Territory correctional officers has sounded the alarm over the effect of harsh circumstances on correctional officers .
It stated that prison visitations were frequently refused when there weren't sufficient personnel to ensure security.
Nearly half of all NT prisoners are accused offenders on remand, who have not been found guilty.
Currently, some people are finding it difficult to secure an appointment with a lawyer.
The president of the Criminal Lawyers Association of the Northern Territory (CLANT), Beth Wild, stated that legal representatives were frequently informed that their planned visits to the Darwin Correctional Centre had been canceled because of "operational issues."
Ms Wild mentioned that in certain instances, lawyers were being refused entry at the door.
"This implies that cases have to be postponed in the courtroom," she stated.
This results in more cases being listed, causing congestion in the court schedules and extending the time prisoners spend on remand.
She said she recognised corrections staff were under mounting pressure.
She stated that the entire justice system is woefully underfunded to handle the significant rise in prisoner population we have observed.
Corrections overcrowding causes 'logjam' in courts
The repercussions were evident on Wednesday at the Darwin Local Court, where defense attorney Jackson Meaney expressed his irritation over not being able to meet face-to-face with his client after 10 months of detention.
He informed the court that the prison has refused him access to the defendant for two consecutive weekends.
The Darwin barrister and ex-president of the Northern Territory Bar Association, John Lawrence SC, mentioned that he hasn’t been capable of meeting with a client at the correctional facility for the past four weeks.
He characterized the present condition of corrections as "disordered and tumultuous."
"This chaos has spread like a virus onto the judicial process, because it's creating a gridlock in the system," he said.
Mr Lawrence stated that the backlog led to certain defendants who were awaiting trial ending up serving longer periods in custody compared to what their eventual sentencing would have been.
The Northern Territory experiences the highest recidivism rates across Australia, with violent crimes often highlighted as a major concern in both urban centers and distant regions.
Ms Wild stated that the Northern Territory's present system of imprisonment is "the priciest and least efficient method for tackling criminal activity."
Ms Wild stated, "They are removed from the streets temporarily, only to be returned in conditions no improved compared to those at the time of their arrest."
The Northern Territory government increases prison capacity.
The NT Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley stated on Wednesday that efforts were being made to ease the strain on the correctional system.
He mentioned that the government has increased the capacity at the new adult prison in Berrimah to house over 310 inmates.
He mentioned that 90 prisoners had already been moved from the Palmerston police watch house.
"If everything proceeds as planned by the end of this week, we will be able to relocate both the inmates and correctional officers from the Alice Springs watch house to the Alice Springs prison," stated Mr Maley.
Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley stated that a new "removable dormitory" at the location could accommodate up to 100 prison beds.
He stated that this is a significant move for corrections and it indicates we now have much greater capacity.
Mr Maley stated that additional personnel from the private security firm G4S will team up with correctional officers starting early next week.
The Northern Territory's correctional services have been reached out for their input.
