The New South Wales women’s prison where guard Wayne Gregory Astill sexually assaulted detainees still lacks hundreds of security cameras required to properly monitor the facility, a special commission of inquiry has heard.
Astill was jailed for a maximum of 23 years earlier this year for abusing his position and assaulting women at the Dillwynia correctional centre, on the outskirts of Sydney, for several years.
He was an officer and then chief correctional officer at the centre before last year being found guilty of 27 charges, including aggravated sexual and indecent assault.
A special commission of inquiry is under way into what, if anything, Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) staff and prison management knew about his offending.
Speaking in his role as a manager of technical security at CSNSW, Fergal Molloy told the inquiry there were almost 1,000 cameras across the Dillwynia centre – but the vast majority were in a newly built section.
The older area of the jail, where Astill worked and offended, had 195 cameras, which Molloy said was significantly below what was required, which would have been “around 400 to 500”.
He said he had requested funding for more cameras.
“I have asked for substantial funding, to the figure of nearly $500,000, to upgrade CCTV functionality in that particular centre,” he said.
“However, we have numerous requests for upgrade[s] statewide.”
When asked why there were security cameras had not been operating inside the offices of prison staff, including that of Astill, Molloy said there should have been.
“Anywhere we have inmates, we should have cameras,” he said.
He said CCTV cameras were “our best management tool” within corrections facilities for their role in understanding what was going on within a centre.
Molloy told the inquiry there were “shortfalls” in security, including in CCTV, across the state but there had been improvements in recent years.
“They are becoming adequate because we are in a constant process of upgrading,” he said. “We do have shortfalls in electronic security.”
Asked if the funding available at the moment was enough to make the upgrades required across the state, Molloy said: “not at present, no”.
The inquiry was announced in July by the state’s corrections minister, Anoulack Chanthivong, who said he was “shocked and absolutely appalled” after Astill’s conviction and ordered the review to be led by former judge Peter McClellan.
“The response to date hasn’t been adequate and I’m deeply troubled,” Chanthivong said.
Last week the inquiry heard from the CSNSW’s assistant commissioner, John Buckley, that it would have been difficult for inmates to report Astill because he was known to be in “good stead” with prison management.
He said that for junior officers it would be a “courageous decision to go to a manager at that time”.
“The power imbalance was there and a situation which was aghast, but certainly very difficult for the inmate,” Buckley told the inquiry.
A final report is due to be handed down in December.
The inquiry continues.
• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
