Corrections Minister Gerard Maley says he has full confidence in the NT police force to investigate another death in custody after a 68-year-old man died several days after being removed from Darwin Airport by AFP as he was intoxicated and unable to fly

Published Jun 10, 2025, 1:20 AM
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Well, as you may have heard reported sadly another death in custody over the weekend. The Northern Territory Police investigating on behalf of the coroner after a man died in Royal Darhwen Hospital over the weekend. Now it is being reported and certainly the police have confirmed that on the thirtieth of May, the Australian Federal Police received reports of an intoxicated sixty eight year old man unable to board a flight out of Darwin. That man was taken into protective custody by the AFP, initially conveyed to Palmerston Watchhouse. Now before being admitted and whilst still in AFP custody, the custody sergeant and nurse assess the mail where it was deemed necessary to convey the man to Royal Dahwen Hospital for further treatment. Upon arriving at the hospital, AFP members noticed the man had lost consciousness. Medical staff were alerted who immediately commenced CPR. Resuscitation efforts were successful and he was transferred to the Intensive care unit in a stable condition and for ongoing treatment for what was a suspected medical event. Now on Saturday, the man passed away in ICU. The cause of the morn Man's death remains undetermined, pending a post mortem. Now joining us on the show is the Deputy Chief Minister, or Minister for Corrections, Jared Mayley. Good morning to Deputy Chief Minister.

Good morning Katie, Good morning to your listeners.

Now, unfortunately another death in custody on the weekend. Does there need to be an independent investigation into the two deaths that we've seen in the last fortnight.

Look, I've got every confidence that the NT Police are capable of doing these investigations. They are professional, they have been in the territory a long time, and this later death is going to be investigated by the NT Police because it occurred in their jurisdiction. So I've got every confidence at the police I can do a job and investigate these TVs to death Now.

According to the AB, one of Australia's largest Aboriginal legal services NAJA, is calling for an emergency intervention to de escalate tensions in the Northern Territory's justice system following the two deaths of Aboriginal meaning in police custody. Now, naja's acting Chief Executive Anthony Bevan, telling the ABC that the Northern Territory government could not afford to wait for an investigation. He said, let's not wait for another inquiry for another twelve months. We know that a person losing their life over a shoplifting incident is not acceptable. He said that NAJA was urging the government to hold a forum with First Nations leaders and both Commonwealth and Northern Territory authorities to address the territory's soaring incarceration rate. Minister, is this something that the government is prepared to look into?

The ant police are the appropriate body john to take these investigations and we certainly aren't going to intervene and step in their way. We don't them do their job. We know that the previous of the roles that when the government intervened there there was all sorts of problems. What we are doing is we've got full confidence in the police the leading do their investigation and then want the result of investigation. Then we can take some action after that investigation has been completely There's not much more we can do or say about this because we need to wait for the investigation to occur.

Do you think there needs to be a forum with First Nations leaders and both the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory authorities, you know, to look more closely into the situation.

Look, what needs to happen is this investigation needs to be completed. We need to see what happens as a result of the investigation and then we can start thinking about what we can do in the Northern Territory to continue to keep the territory a safe place, all.

Right, minister. In terms of you know, the situation with our jails, Mister Bevan from NAJA has told the ABC that the government's bail reforms have watered down the presumption of innocence, making First Nation people fearful of police officers and the justice system. He reckons they're seeing their family, their sons, their daughters, their husbands and wives being locked up and held on remand for long periods of time. He said, we don't want to get into a situation where Aboriginal people feel backed into a corner that if they have an interaction with police, there's a good chance that they're going to spend time in jail. Is that a concern for the government and particularly you as the Corrections Minister.

Look, what my main concern in my paramaccon is keeping the community This is talking about the whole of the community in the Northern Territory and we need to make sure that it's a safe place to go shopping, it's a safe place to walk down the streets. I remember there's stories of people who don't want to go shopping at Casherine and coming all the way out into calling Es Central because I didn't feel safe all the election. But we're going to make sure that the We're going to concern on community safety and all we want to do is make sure that if you do come into the correction system, that there's an opportunity for program to get some structure in your life and come out a better person, because it's about community safety. And remember, if you don't do the wrong thing, something to worry about that.

I think the point you've made there about programs is an important one and I know again this morning Dr Russell Mark's, a criminal defense lawyer and author have Locked Up and Locked Out, was on the ABC saying the community is demonstrably less safe after a person spent time in jail. He reckons those who spend time in jail are more likely to offend again. How are you, as a minister making sure that people are not going to jail and becoming better offenders. I mean, talk us through some of those programs and are they operating you know, with the intended effect i e. People coming out better PEOPLEOK.

Putting someone in prison and putting them into a program and bringing him out is one aspect off the bigger picture here, Katie. It's about making sure that the wrap around services look at what problems they've got, if they're got any health issues. As we all know that when you go into corrections, you get a full health check up. You go make sure that your medication is the right medication, that you're taking your medication, that you get three meals a day, and you get off the alcohol, you get off the drugs, and then you go to these programs to be able to come out a better person. Because it's not only about program but remember we also got education in schooling O Katie. I've been to the youth prison and I've been to the adult prison. I've seen these inmates in school. I'm talking about young offenders here, something that some of them have never done. In fact, I was there and there was a young offender about seventeen who didn't know what the outfit was couldn't write their name down. So we are making sure we look at the big picture here and telling someone out of the other The prison system is about education, it's about purpose. It's about getting them away from the alcohol, the drugs, giving them a program, giving them an opportunity to get up in the morning, go back to bed, to have some routine in your life. So you look at the big picture here, Katie. It's about making sure that we protect these prisoners, protect the prison offices as well. And it's not just one part of it. You know, programs are a very important part of it, but it's one part of many things. And remember after that, we've also got charity families and those community services can wrap around and support the young offenders. And some of the young offenders could be nineteen twenty who come from a broken community or a broken family, have had a really tough upbringing, so we can give them some opportunity to speak to the people, some counselors, just to try and get their lives back on track.

Well, I think that, you know, the other thing that must always be remembered in these discussions is victims of crime. You know, we have got so many victims of crime, so many of them who listen to this show. I mean, look, we are getting a lot of messages to that effect this morning, so I'll get to those after. But Minister, as of last week, I understand that there was a record twenty eight hundred and three prisoners being held across the Northern Territory's prison network. That marks a number. Well, that marks a jump of five hundred and fifty inmates since the COLP came into power in August. I mean to those out there criticizing that and saying, you know, this is not a good thing. It's not a good thing to have more people in prison, what do you say to those people this morning?

Like I said at the beginning of a conversation, OK, this is about community safety in general. The Seal pre elected in August last year to make sure that the territory is a safer place, and that's what we're doing, and that there's going to be a consequence. If you commit a crime in Northern Territory. The police are going to investigate, and if the court determined that you spend some time and detention, we will put you into penance. Two detention will be able to give you some education, some programs and training to try and break that cycle of reoffending. But it goes back to if there's an offense, Kyd, there's a victim, and we want to ma sure that Territorians in their entirety are better and safer, which is again people going shopping at cooling because it's too dangerous, of shopping at Casherina just unacceptable.

Katie, now, Minister, no doubt, the record high numbers continue to put pressure on the system. The government, will you guys say you're set to deliver a record two hundred and two new correctional officers this financial year, marking the largest single workforce expansion in the territory's correctional history.

What work is.

Underway to ensure that the prison system can deal with these ever growing numbers, you know, not only in terms of bolstering those prison those correctional numbers, but also in terms of infrastructure.

Well, kay, there's three main things we're doing. When we've come into office. We've created a master plan in writing and infrastructure. We came in and the prisons were overcrowded, the officers and corrections of correction officers and prisons are in watchhouses and the staffing was under wasn't where it should be. So we have created or got two hundred and two new direction offices this financial year. And just on Friday I went and saw the passing out for thirty two new officers to be able to go back in and help those officers who do a great job. On top of that, Katie, we've also got G four s we're up and running, which do the services outside the wire. There is no plan to put them in behind the wire and privatize prisons. What they do is look after the prisoners who come to the court or the transporting between facilities. We're just trying to make sure that we've got enough officers to deal with this demand because it's about community safety and keeping territory and safe.

Can I ask, do you know how many prisoners we currently have on remand.

I don't have that figure right in front of the KD of what it was. I know. I don't want to give you the wrong for.

Making all right, I guess I suppose my question is you know with those ones that are on remand is I think that the big question from a lot of people is if they're on remand are they still able to undertake those various different programs and again try to make sure that they're then when and differently that they are becoming, you know, like better people rather than rather than obviously going down the wrong path.

When you're on remand you're innocent until proven guilty, so there are valuable programs if you wanted to attend. They're not mandatory, and that's what we're only looking at doing to make sure that there is available. So it's trying to get that balance right and saying, look, you're in prison, we haven't been convicted of anything yet, so we can't force you, but there are certainly industries and skills trainings available if you're on ramand to be able to deal with ease you want to How would.

You describe the way that things are going within our directional facilities at the moment. Do you feel as though you know that you guys are on top of things, that you've got enough prison guards or correctional officers. Do you feel as though there is enough infrastructure or are we still seeing a situation where things are quite crowded.

Look, when we came in office, I'm nine months ago, to be quite frank, kay I was shocked at the state of the system, there was overcrowding, there was lack of infrastructure. Clearly of the previous government had just not planned to deal with safety and deal with the correction system. So what we've come into office. We've got two hundred and two new staff. We've injected another one hundred and twenty six million dollars of additional funding into the system. We've brought gfours online because it's a challenge working in the correctional system and we have been faced with a with a big problem. But I think it is turning and I think we've gone down over the hump and things are getting better. We've got more staff, we've got more infrastructure, and we're out there trying to keep the community.

So, Minister, just another topic, and I'm very mindful of time. I don't want to keep you for two long. I know it's a busy day, but I want to ask you about this situation being reported in the Australian newspaper today. A Northern Territory Supreme Court judge kept secret the details of how she bailed a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a child to a small town two days after the Northern Territory government had passed the nation's toughest bail laws, despite a previous judge finding it would be inevitable the accused would run into the complainant and her family. Now, the thirty four year old has been charged to two serious sexual offenses against a child in the town of Catherine, but it is being reported by The Australian last month was granted bail to live in the same town. That is what multiple sources have told the paper. You know, I understand that the government's now urgently seeking that the Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecution request an appeal to revoke the man's bail after this issue had been raised. Is that the case? What do you understand of this situation? I mean, is it another situation where it does not pass the pub test?

Look, Katie, on the face of it doesn't pass the pub test. But what when we've found out about it. When I say the government, I know the Attorney General Marquez booth Meet wrote to the Office of the Public Prosecutions and after they urgently review it considered this matter. It just seems to be like we don't want to we don't know all the details, Katie, and we don't know exactly what happened, but certainly on the face of it, this needs to be reviewed and reviewed urgently. We did change. We've changed the law twice since we've been offers to make sure that the bail laws are tough and there's a test now the high degree of confidence. And I can't explain why the court have done what they've done, but I can say is to give the community a bit of satisfaction that we're reviewing as urgent we can and we need to make sure that this doesn't happen because it's all about community safety.

Minister, are you concerned that some within the judiciary are thumbing their nose that the government's legislative changes.

Look, Look, the court are also in the challenging situation. They're doing their job and they need to make sure that we need we're going to manage the expectation of the community. Look, we are going to continue as and say that we as a government to strength in the Northern Territory court system and we're going to put the rights of the victim then the community first. So it is a challenging situation, but we're making sure that we look into it in this particular case to get it reviewed and then look into the whole court system as well to so what can we do to make it to go quickly. We spoke about remand prisoners. If we've got a court system that's working well, those Romand times and remand prisoners will go down as well.

Yeah, Well, Corrections Minister and also Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Jered Maylee. I always appreciate your time. Thank you very much for having a chat with us today.

Thank you Katie, thank you