Victoria prison staff face scrutiny over alleged drunkenness and drug smuggling
A prison officer was reportedly removed from duty at Victoria’s Metropolitan Remand Centre after inmates alerted senior staff that she was drunk while on shift. The claims add to scrutiny of staff conduct in the state’s prisons, alongside separate, unconfirmed allegations of sexual contact between an officer and an inmate.
The article also reports that a different female officer allegedly tried to smuggle 140g of methamphetamine into Western Plains Correctional Centre in June, reportedly concealed in her bra. The $1.1 billion prison opened last year and can hold up to 1,292 prisoners. Corrections Victoria says reports of workplace misconduct are assessed and that smuggling drugs or contraband can lead to criminal charges and dismissal; it denies that an officer was sacked over sex with an inmate.
In short
- Inmates reportedly alerted staff to a guard allegedly drunk on duty.
- A separate officer allegedly tried to smuggle 140g of meth into prison.
- Corrections Victoria says drug smuggling can lead to prosecution and dismissal.
Explained simply
Victoria’s prisons are run by Corrections Victoria, which oversees staff and the people held in custody. The Metropolitan Remand Centre holds people awaiting court or transfer, while Western Plains Correctional Centre is a newer prison with capacity for up to 1,292 prisoners.
Prison officers supervise prisoners and help maintain security, so allegations about their conduct can raise questions about safety and how rules are enforced. The reported incidents involve different officers and prisons; some claims remain unconfirmed, and Corrections Victoria says misconduct reports are assessed and drug smuggling can lead to criminal charges or dismissal.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Inmates dob in their jailers: Female officer ‘smashed’ on vodka, sex tape claims and alleged staff drug busts engulf Victoria’s prisons”.