A record-high number of prisoners across the Territory reached 2,903 last week, which has the CLP Government scrambling to recruit record numbers of prison officers, while the union says conditions behind bars remain unsafe after an officer lost an eye last month and have also raised concerns about the continued use of private corrections guards.

Since the CLP took office in August, the inmate count has risen by roughly 550, which it says is the result of its ‘tough on crime’ electoral promise, but has significantly strained the courts, leading to delays in case hearings and record-high remand times taxing the prison system.

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