Department to review jail

Updated November 7 2012 - 2:59pm, first published June 1 2011 - 12:20am

NSW Corrective Services last night announced it will launch a full review of Junee Correctional Centre's (JCC) housing of female inmates.The move comes after private prison operator GEO Group stood down five JCC staff over allegations they spied on a female inmate as she undressed."The commissioner has ordered a review of protocol surrounding management of women at Junee Correctional Centre," a NSW Corrective Services spokeswoman said.A senior female officer will travel to Junee in the coming days to conduct the review.JCC has long had facilities to hold up to four female inmates, who are kept in a separate section attached to the medical centre. A source close to JCC said only women in remand or awaiting court appearances were kept on site. "They're normally in transit somewhere," he said. He asserted it was unlikely NSW Corrective Services would attempt to stop the practice as department officials "are the ones that asked us to house them there".Prisoner rights group Justice Action has launched a broadside attack on GEO Group over its private operation of the centre.Justice Action spokesman Brett Collins ? a former inmate himself ? yesterday said the internal investigation by the company would be unlikely to result in justice for the inmate. "(The inmate) has rights; there are civil rights ... but what's the proof going to be?" Mr Collins said. "Do you think the guards are going to give evidence? I don't think so." He said when private operators are able to hold scrutinising authorities "at arm's length" it put operational transparency in doubt.However, a spokesman for GEO Group said the recent incident "wasn't a strong argument against private prisons"."This could happen at a private or public prison," he said.It is expected the findings of GEO Group's investigation will be released later this week.

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