08/05/2026
We are so grateful to Cecily Rosol MP for Bass of the Tasmanian Greens who gave a speech last night about ongoing lockdowns at the Risdon Prison Complex.
Below is the extract from the Hansard record.
Thursday 7 May 2026 5.52pm
Ms ROSOL (Bass) - Honourable Speaker, I rise this evening to speak about lockdowns at the Risdon Prison Complex. Lockdowns have long been a problem in Tasmanian prisons and we know they are getting worse. The Greens obtained an RTI earlier this year that showed more than 6000 lockdowns over an almost 12 month period, the second year in a row there have been more than 6000 lockdowns. In terms of the length of lockdowns, our RTI revealed there were more than 2600 lockdowns that extended beyond four hours, and 95 per cent of these were caused by staff shortages.
What's particularly concerning is that recently I have been contacted by people telling me the lockdowns are now worse than ever. One person who contacted my office told me about their partner in Risdon. He had been in lockdown for 21 of the previous 30 days, including a complete lockdown for a full five day period. On some days he was let out of his cell for less than one hour a day. As she said, this is effectively solitary confinement. Another person had a similar report, saying lockdowns frequently last days at a time. In the whole of March their family member in Risdon had only nine full days and five half days out of lockdown, and in April only six full days and seven half days out of lockdown. Meanwhile, family members gathered outside the Risdon Prison complex on Wednesday 22 April to protest a two week period during which, they say, lockdowns were lifted on only two days.
These reports are shocking. Lockdowns mean people are literally locked in their cell for the whole period with no contact with others. They likely experience cancellation of appointments for health, rehabilitation or training, and they have no way of talking with their families. Extended and frequent lockdowns are dehumanising. They deny human dignity and value, and they are a direct violation of human rights. Let's be clear: lockdowns in Tasmanian prisons are extended and frequent, and are violating human rights.
According to the Corrective Services report on government services, Tasmania had the very worst lockdown figures in the country, with an average of only seven out-of-cell hours per day in 2024-2025. What people in Tasmanian prisons are currently experiencing is even worse than those figures. We're leading the nation with terrible treatment of people in prison and it's not good enough. In fact, it's shameful.
Apart from the violation of rights and dignity, lockdowns have a significant negative impact on the mental health of people in prison. Referring again to the people who've contacted me about their relatives, they report deteriorating mental health. One person wrote and said:
This situation is having a devastating impact on the inmate's mental health. During our contact visit, he was extremely distressed and expressed a deep fear of losing his connection to me, his family and the outside world. Not being able to have these 10-minute phone calls each day is becoming unbearable for him and his family.
I have also been contacted by members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, who report that their mentoring visits with Aboriginal people in prisons are frequently cancelled at short notice, sometimes when they've already arrived at the visitors' centre. They are concerned about Aboriginal people losing connection with culture.
We know from stakeholders that they are often unable to access the prison complex to provide services and support. At the same time as lockdowns are worsening mental health of people in our prisons, there's also a lack of mental health support, with insufficient, unavailable or inaccessible mental health services. Rehabilitation can't happen, and these people are then at increased risk of recidivism when they're released because of what they've experienced while they've been in there and the lack of support they receive.
I wrote a letter to the minister on 24 April seeking information about the increase in lockdowns and asking what action is being taken. I understand the situation in our prisons is difficult, but this must be a priority. It's unacceptable that our prisons are treating people so badly. We must fulfil our obligations and ensure the rights of people in prison are maintained. They may be in prison because they have committed a crime, but they still are people who have dignity, value and worth, and they should be treated in that way.
