Use of force to conduct a strip search at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 11 January 2021
24 September 2021
On 11 January 2021 an Indigenous woman detainee was subjected to a use of force by Corrections Officers who were attempting to strip search her. After a physical struggle lasting several minutes, the detainee agreed to accompany officers to a bathroom in the unit where a closed-door strip search was conducted by two female officers.
The review found that, while the decision to conduct a strip search was lawful under the Corrections Management Act 2007 (ACT), the attempt to forcibly remove the detainee’s clothing was inconsistent with the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT) which requires human rights to be considered in all decision making by a public authority.
The review makes nine recommendations, including that human rights are explicitly considered before conducting planned forced strip searches and that ACTCS expedite the acquisition of body scanning technology that would obviate the need for strip searches in most cases.
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