Ombudsman calls on NT government to urgently remove prisoners from police cells
The report reveals prisoners held in the Alice Springs watch house in October were using rolled-up blankets as makeshift pillows. (Supplied: NT Ombudsman)
In short:
The Northern Territory ombudsman has called on the government to end the practice of holding prisoners in police watch houses.
In a report tabled in parliament, Bronwyn Haack detailed "unreasonable and oppressive" conditions, including sleep deprivation, "inhumane" toilet access and claims guards watched women prisoners shower.
What's next?
The NT Corrections Department says there are now "minimal prisoners" held in watch houses and it is committed to further reducing reliance on them.
The acting Northern Territory ombudsman has urged the government to remove all inmates from territory watch houses "as a matter of urgency", citing "inhumane" conditions leading one prisoner to report they "thought I would die in there".
In a report tabled in parliament last week, acting ombudsman Bronwyn Haack warned prisoners were being held in conditions that were "unreasonable and oppressive".
Photographs published in the report show 17 inmates squeezed into a single cell at the Palmerston watch house on mattresses on the floor, with one forced to sleep between two toilets.
In Alice Springs, women prisoners described male Corrections officers watching them shower, while others said they endured freezing cells with just one blanket.
Photographs of inmates at the Palmerston watch house show 17 people crammed into a single cell, with one prisoner sleeping between two toilets. (Supplied: NT Ombudsman)
Another prisoner said he did not go to the toilet for 21 days before being transferred out of the watch house.
"I waited until I came to prison to use the toilet," he said.
"I was in a lot of pain and I was extremely constipated."
Ms Haack's four-month investigation into the Katherine, Palmerston and Alice Springs watch houses, between November 2024 and February 2025, also found inmates — some of whom were held in police cells for up to two months — were subject to constant artificial light, unable to shower or brush their teeth for multiple days, and "practically never let outside".
One prisoner told investigators from the ombudsman's office the smell from the cell's toilet was so overwhelming "some [prisoners] put their face under the door" to get fresh air.
The report includes a still from CCTV footage of the Katherine watch house's exercise yard. (Supplied: NT Ombudsman)
Another said he felt like he was "losing my mind".
"I thought I would die in there," he said.
"I was sad and thinking a lot, what are these guys going to do to us?"
Another prisoner said, "You sort of don't feel human after a while of only being inside and the only light you see is artificial".
Ms Haack reported prisoners were forced to drink from water bubblers positioned above toilets that were often blocked, "putrid, logistically difficult to access and a potential hygiene risk".
"We had to drink water from that bubbler, it was disgusting, it stinks," one prisoner said.
"We kept asking the officers for a cup of water and they said, 'No'."
Ms Haack warned the overcrowded facilities were contributing to sleep deprivation and the spread of diseases including scabies, colds and skin infections, saying the "terrible conditions" raised concerns for the welfare and dignity of prisoners.
"Prisoners in the Alice Springs and Palmerston watch houses were confined to cells in overcrowded conditions for weeks at a time, with the only time out of cell being to shower," she said.
Bronwyn Haack concluded it was likely that "some prisoners were not provided clean clothing for lengthy periods of time at the Palmerston and Alice Springs watch houses". (ABC News: Dane Hirst)
"No prisoner, regardless of their offence, should be held in such conditions."
The report noted police watch houses across the Territory have been used as prison cells since 2023 in response to severe overcrowding in the territory's jails.
The NT's prison population rose sharply after the Country Liberal Party (CLP) government was elected in 2024, bringing in tough-on-crime reforms, including amendments to bail legislation and mandating stricter sentences for some offences.
"Watch house facilities are simply ill-equipped to accommodate prisoners for anything more than a short stay," Ms Haack said.
Minister makes 'no apologies'
The report notes the Corrections Department accepted Ms Haack's recommendation to remove prisoners from watch houses and was "committed to reducing reliance" on them.
The department said there were now "minimal" prisoners in police cells and it would provide monthly updates as requested.
NT Police said while it was "strongly supportive" of the recommendation, monthly reporting "should rest with Corrections".
While noting the Katherine police station was not designed for longer stays, Ms Haack said her recommendation was "subject to a caveat", as the region lacked alternative custodial facilities and the watch house "has some design features that make it more suitable for shorter, medium-term stays".
Gerard Maley says his government inherited the problem from the previous administration. (ABC News: Peter Garnish)
In a statement, Corrections Minister Gerard Maley said the conditions described in the report "reflected years of neglect by Labor".
Mr Maley said the CLP had "increased our correctional capacity across the territory" but would "continue to do what it takes to ensure we reduce crime".
"We make no apologies for restoring the rights of victims and the community and I've said many times, if you do the wrong thing, we will find you a bed,"he said.
In March, Mr Maley pledged to end the use of watch houses, but while the report notes the number of prisoners being held there fell between March and September this year, the numbers were still "significant".
The report acknowledges Katherine lacks alternative custodial facilities and the town's watch house is "more suitable for shorter, medium-term stays". (ABC News: Michael Franchi)
Ms Haack made 15 further recommendations in the "highly undesirable" event that continued use of the watch houses was unavoidable.
They include ensuring lights can be dimmed and that prisoners have access to clean drinking water and can shower, brush their teeth and leave their cell for at least one hour each day.
Ms Haack also recommended that Corrections and NT Police report any instances of detainees being held for more than seven days over the next 18 months.