A string of incidents in Tasmanian prisons between Christmas and New Year's Eve are symptomatic of chronic understaffing and overcrowding in the system says the United Workers Union.
UWU spokeswoman Jannette Armstrong said between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve alone correctional officers dealt with six instances of prisoner self-harm, 10 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, one code red cell fire and two prisoner assaults on staff, one of which resulted in the officer being taken to hospital.
Another assault on a staff member just before Christmas also resulted in an officer being taken to hospital with significant facial injuries.
A letter sent on December 13, requesting a meeting with the government within a month to allow officers to discuss their concerns and progress negotiations on the correctional officers agreement, has also gone unanswered apart from the government acknowledging it had been received.
"It's appalling, particularly in light of the assaults on officers, for the government and the minister to not respond and to not show any care for her employees who have been significantly injured in the line of duty and in their work protecting the Tasmanian community," Ms Armstrong said.
"It's just abhorrent.
"Where are they? It's all well and good for them to be off on holidays but this has been going on for years now, not just months."
Ms Archer said Ms Webster was making arrangements to meet with corrections officers.
"Assaults against prisoners and staff are completely unacceptable. The safety of staff and prisoners is the number one priority for the Tasmania Prison Service," Ms Archer said.
"The government has taken a range of actions to improve safety and security for both staff and prisoners, such as the recruitment of additional correctional staff and funding to improve prison infrastructure, including the currently under construction $70 million Southern Remand Centre.
"Approximately 38 new [corrections] staff have been selected from the latest recruitment round. They will commence training on January 20, 2020."
Prisons over capacity
Ms Armstrong said overcrowding remained a key concern within the service with the Hobart Reception Prison was at 131 per cent capacity and Risdon Prison Complex was at 105 per cent capacity on Monday.
"[They are] clearly over capacity and that capacity includes the temporary and extra beds they've added throughout the year," she said.
Ms Armstrong said during a visit to Risdon Prison at the end of December she saw no prisoners in the recategorised section for medium inmates in the Ron Barwick Minimum Security Prison.
The section was recategorised following the escape of an inmate in September 2019.
"They've been staffing those cells with overtime people to the tune of several thousand dollars a day and there's no one in them. While they are doing that maximum and the proper medium are in lockdown. It's mind-boggling," Ms Armstrong said.
Ms Archer said, since the medium accommodation units opened in the Ron Barwick Prison on December 7, 2019, the TPS has concentrated on ensuring the most appropriate prisoners are accommodated within those units.
"Appropriate staffing has been provided to facilitate these arrangements," she said.