OMBUDSMAN TASMANIA REPORT ON AN INQUIRY INTO RISDON PRISON Risdon Prison Hospital & Forensic Mental Health Services Volume 1 June 2001 1 Office of the Ombudsman Telephone: Toll free 1800 001 170 (03) 6233 6217 Facsimile: (03) 6233 8966 Email:
[email protected] Internet: http://www.justice.tas.gov.au/ombudsman The Office of the Ombudsman is located at Ground Floor, 99 Bathurst Street, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001. © Office of the Ombudsman, Tasmania 2001 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. ISBN 0-7246-8008-X (Set) ISBN 0-7246-8006-3 (Volume 1) 2 FOREWORD The investigation into the Risdon Prison Hospital and the Risdon Prison Complex represents probably the most major investigations ever undertaken by a Tasmanian Ombudsman. I believe that the reports speak for themselves in respect of the independence of the investigative process, the depth of analysis and the comprehensiveness of the background research undertaken. The investigation was initiated as an own motion inquiry by the then Ombudsman following discussions with the Minister for Justice, Hon Dr Peter Patmore, in response to a number of tragic inmate deaths and a series of adverse incidents, including escapes and riot situations. Managing a prison is no easy task. Prisons are like no other institutions and prisoners form a highly volatile, vulnerable and atypical society. Prison authorities at Risdon and elsewhere bear a degree of responsibility that goes well beyond what is required of most authorities, public or private, in meeting this duty of care.