Calls are mounting for tougher COVID safety measures after a prison guard tested positive and spread COVID-19 to inmates, prompting a riot, at a West Australian prison.
According to the WA Department of Justice, two inmates and five staff at the privately-run Acacia Prison have tested positive for COVID-19. The positive inmates remain in lockdown, and the five staff are isolating at home.
On Sunday afternoon, a riot broke out at the prison, 50 kilometres east of Perth, which houses around 1500 inmates, the most in the Southern-Hemisphere.
Indigenous prisoner advocate and Noongar man, Mervyn Eades told NITV News that the riot was caused because officers were not following correct COVID-19 safety protocols.
“It's been at a boiling point for a long time,” said Mr Eades.
“COVID is why the boys have kicked up… the boys in Acacia are very worried about the COVID situation. They’re taking them out of the units, the people that are positive and not RAT testing the rest [other inmates].
“They’re all close contacts… it's like living in the same house.”
So far, Acacia Prison is the only prison in the state to record a case of the virus. However, only 11.7 per cent of prisoners have received all three vaccine doses.
Indigenous prisoner advocate, Noongar man Mervyn Eades says there needs to be COVID-19 safety measure put in place to protect inmates from the virus. Source: Kearyn Cox (NITV News).
Mr Eades says Serco Australia, the company that operates Acacia, should be held accountable for the outbreak.
“There’s got to be ownership on Corrective Services and Serco,” he said.
“Why don’t they do RAT tests on every officer, every day of the week? Test them… they took it into the prison.. they gave it to the prisoners.. because the boys aren’t going anywhere and mixing in society, they’re locked up.”
NITV News has reached out to Serco Australia for comment.
Department investigating riot
In a statement to NITV News on Monday, the Department of Justice said it was still investigating the cause of the riot which saw at least 100 inmates involved, with a "small cohort" engaging in "unruly behaviour".
According to the Department, the riot started around 4pm and was under control by 9:45, after specialist staff from Corrective Services, including WA Police had breached the prison.
"SOG [Special Operations Group] officers were deployed after attempts to negotiate with the prisoners were unsuccessful," they said.
"At the peak of the incident, a group of prisoners broke away and moved to the industries area of another block within the prison, lighting fires and causing further damage.
"It’s estimated around a hundred prisoners refused to comply with directions from staff at some point during the disturbance."
The Department said three staff presented to hospital with minor injuries, while one prisoner was taken to hospital after an unrelated medical episode.
