Prison guards in Alice Springs walked off the job in July 2022 following similar industrial action in Darwin. United Workers Union NT’s Secretary Erina Early said: “The levels of overcrowding and short staffing are at a crisis point, and it's a disaster waiting to happen. Correctional officers have a dangerous job even under ideal circumstances,
but now the extra pressures force skilled and dedicated workers to leave the industry.”
There was also industrial action in both Darwin and Alice Springs in May 2022. Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said in June 2022 that an increase in the number of prisoners caused stress, attrition, and excessive overtime work. Union figures suggest a lack of 48
corrections officers in Alice Springs. Union delegate and corrections officer Phil Tilbrook believed the department was “dysfunctional”
Corrections officers are often faced with allegations of abuse and misconduct, which are sometimes found to be false, with charges dropped. Those guards are left with stress-related trauma. Guards must constantly be aware of their actions and protect the rights of the offenders above their own needs and safety, even when offenders show violent behaviours. Stress in prison officers causes anxiety, depression, PTSD and panic disorder.
To ensure they have access to justice, there needs to be a serious overhaul of the role of security. There should be minimum contact between the offender and the guard. State-of-the-art camera technologies should be in place to record all situations without lapses so that a comprehensive picture is recorded of situations leading up to violent incidents. Staff training focused on trauma and deflecting conflict should be a priority, and access to mental health support and clinical supervision should reduce burnout and the stigma of mental health issues. Even with this kind of training in place, guards should not be around offenders. They should guard the perimeters of the facility. Offender violence should be dealt with as it is
in hospitals, not as it is in prisons, because crime in Alice Springs is a public-health issue, not a criminal-law issue.
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