JUNEE jail has assured the community it has one of the lowest rates of contraband among the NSW prison population – and has welcomed a state-wide crackdown on mobile phones.
It comes as an inmate, Beau Wiles, escaped from the minimum security section of Goulburn jail earlier this week.
Curiously, Wiles was able to organise for a black Holden Commodore to be waiting on the outside when he made his bold dash for freedom.
The inmate – using a mobile phone with internet connectivity – posted photographs to Facebook posing in his underwear just two days before his escape.
It prompted outrage.
But Junee Correctional Centre spokesman, Ken Davis, has revealed Junee’s jail has fared well compared with other NSW jails for contraband.
“The latest figures show Junee has one of the lowest rates of contraband of all correctional centres in NSW,” he said. “That’s because of all the deterrence work we put in … we crack down pretty hard and it’s harder to get away with having contraband.”
In response to the prison escape, Corrective Services has introduced a suite of measures designed to rid the prison network of mobile phones. From now, any inmate caught with a mobile phone will be sent to a maximum security prison, with their security classification reviewed.
Any inmate also caught with a mobile phone within the past year will also be sent to maximum security prison.
Junee mayor Neil Smith welcomed the changes as a boost to security, but was also not concerned about the prospect of a prison break at Junee jail.
“When they were building the jail, they talked about what would happen if there was a prison break,” he said.
“But I think anyone escaping from jail is probably likely to get a long way away from there and not stick around for long.”
On Friday, corrective services minister David Elliott said he was “disgusted” Wiles was able to escape. He was re-captured on Wednesday and faces another two years in prison.
