Simon Corbell MLA ATTORNEY GENERAL MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER MINISTER FOR ENERGY MINISTER FOR POLICE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MEMBER FOR MOLONGLO

MEDIA

RELEASE

CUSTODIAL OFFICER SAFETY CONCERNS PROMPT RFID BRACELETS TO BE TAKEN OFFLINE Precautionary steps to maintain the safety of custodial officers at the Alexander Maconochie Centre are being taken after some technical difficulties were experienced with Radio Frequency Identification bracelets (RFID), Attorney General, Simon Corbell, said today. “ACT Corrective Services has advised me that there are increasing problems with the battery life of the RFID bracelets, causing the system to generate a large number of false alarms,” Mr Corbell said. “If a battery on a prisoner’s bracelet drops too low an alarm is activated. When there are too many such alarms the system can overload which requires system re-booting and this is happening at an increased frequency. “Re-booting the system means all bracelets, including officer duress alarms are then offline, which can place custodial officers in an unsafe position. “For this reason a short-term solution for this problem is to disable and remove the prisoner units pending delivery of replacement parts to ensure that custodial duress alarms continue to work effectively. “The decision to take the prisoner RFID bracelets offline, at the current time, will allow the officers duress alarms to work uninterrupted.” RFID bracelets are an optional secondary security measure at the AMC that provide additional tracking capabilities for prisoners and data collection that can assist in situations where assaults or criminal activity is taking place inside the AMC. “It is important to emphasise that taking these bracelets offline temporarily will not compromise the overall security system of the AMC,” Mr Corbell said. “There is a wide range of different security measures including patrols by corrections officers, a CCTV camera network for surveillance, microwave and acoustic detection, anti-cowling (anticlimb) devices on perimeter fence, security intercom system for staff and prisoners, two way radio communication, master control room staffed 24 hours, fixed duress alarms, observation regimes, regular prisoner musters, electronically secured perimeter fence and electric pulse fencing.”

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The AMC is the only correctional facility in Australia to be using these bracelets and the RFID system has been in the commissioning phase since prisoners were first received at AMC in late 2009. “The company responsible for the RFID bracelets, NEC, has committed to replacing the tags with new battery units which are currently being acceptance tested in the USA. “The safety of non-custodial staff and visitors will also be effectively managed through normal prison operations. “ACT Corrective Services is working closely with NEC to resolve these ongoing problems with the RFID system in the shortest possible timeframe.

Statement Ends: Thursday February 10, 2011. Media Contact: Patrick Cronan (Office) 6205 0401 (Mobile) 0432 758 224 [email protected]