The Department of Corrections uses a form of physical intervention to establish and maintain control within the prison system and to minimise the potential for injury to prisoners and staff.
Prison staff must exhaust every effort to communicate with the prisoner(s) to diffuse the situation peacefully without the need for physical force.
Staff can, where appropriate, offer the prisoner the opportunity to voluntarily remove themselves from the situation or isolate themselves, or leave the prisoner where they are - provided that it is a safe and secure environment and the prisoner is unable to cause harm or further harm to themselves or others.
Force is not used as a means of punishment. The methods of physical intervention used are internationally recognised as quick, efficient and safe.
The use of physical force is limited to the minimum degree reasonable and necessary to resolve the situation as promptly and safely as possible for all parties involved in any incident.
Physical force can only be used if there are reasonable grounds to believe the use of physical force is necessary:
The level of force used is dependant on the situation and the degree of resistance given by the prisoner. Corrections uses an intervention strategy called Control and Restraint to bring a prisoner under control.
Control and Restraint (C&R) involves the use of approved techniques to bring a prisoner under control. It is used in situations where there is a likelihood of the prisoner causing injury to him/herself or others, the actions of the prisoner causing the disturbance are likely to incite a larger disturbance in the area, the prisoner produces a weapon, or the prisoner is in a highly agitated state and considered to be a threat to themselves or to the safety of others.
After Control and Restraint has been used, the prisoner is removed from the situation using a technique called controlled removal. This involves removing the prisoner from the situation using minimum force to overcome the force presented by the prisoner.
The prior approval of the Prison Manager or an authorised manager must be sought wherever practical before the use of force.
The use of force is only considered when all other reasonable alternatives have been attempted or, in extreme circumstances, when all other reasonable alternatives are considered inappropriate due to the nature of the situation. It is discontinued at the first possible safe opportunity once control is regained.
The prisoner must be examined by a registered health professional and interviewed by management within three hours of the application of physical force.
The prisoner is then placed on 15 minute logged observations until their at-risk status has been reviewed.
Staff involved in the use of force hold a debrief immediately after each incident. They have access to medical, emotional and psychological support and the Prison's Post Incident Response Team.
Prisons maintain a register to record every incident involving the use of force.
Information recorded in the register includes the name of the person who authorised the use of force, details of the incident, intervention strategies used prior to the use of force, details of the type of force used and the subsequent result. This is reviewed by prison management to confirm that all the required steps were implemented. The prison manager signs the register to certify that all actions were undertaken correctly.
A review is carried out by a nominated staff member to consider whether the situation was handled in the most appropriate way, the circumstances that led to the situation and strategies to be put in place to avoid future situations that lead to the use of force.
All custodial staff are trained in the use of physical holds to restrain prisoners.
Physical holds can only be used by staff members with adequate training in the use of that hold. All staff must undergo refresher courses at least every 12 months. Each of these training sessions reinforces legal requirements and principles underpinning the use of force.