Prisoner Officers from metropolitan prisons rallied on the steps of Parliament House on Tuesday 7 April in protest at the Government's proposal to relocate Yatala Labour Prison and the Adelaide Women's Prison to Murray Bridge. Mobilong Prison and Port Augusta Prison also went into lock down in support of fellow workers.

The proposed move will result in over 400 jobs lost from Northern and Central Adelaide and force current employees to relocate or commute to Murray Bridge. The PSA has continually lobbied Government to reconsider its proposal and has provided research information that highlights the excessive economic, social and demographical costs of the proposal.

The Government maintains it is committed to the proposal which the PSA considers is poorly conceived and costly. Recent press has continually outlined the tight fiscal, monetary budget constraints in today's society facing Government. The Government has indicated it will not commit to the ongoing employment of over 1600 Government employees and has already outlined there will be a tight environment for Enterprise Bargaining.

Whilst the Government will not commit to the economic security of its workforce it will, however, continue to demonstrate that it is committed to spending public money on poorly conceived projects such as the closure of Adelaide metropolitan prisons. The Government has also ignored calls to undertake a social impact study on the region and plans to forge ahead with its proposal regardless of the impact on the Murray Bridge community.

The State's Correctional Officers made clear their opposition to the proposed relocation, and the PSA has continually presented arguments against the far reaching and significant financial and social costs, however, the Government conveniently insists it is committed to the site, regardless of the cost to the public, the Murray Bridge region and Correctional Officers and their families!
Research commissioned by the PSA can be found on the following links:
        http://www.cpsu.asn.au/webnews/Dexter_Review_16_Oct_08.pdf
        http://www.cpsu.asn.au/webnews/Final_Report_30_10_08.pdf         http://www.cpsu.asn.au/webnews/summary_of_findings_New_Prison_reports.pdf