Prisons boss lays bare ‘impossible situation’ of overcrowding

“We’re not complacent about it. We’re hoping to interact more with the courts, so we’re very aware of who the court’s priorities are. It’s a very difficult situation.”

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Hosking said it had been revealed that people arrested overnight were given priority over people in custody and that meetings were held regularly between the deputy chief magistrate, senior police and his organization to try to resolve the issue.

But Hosking complained that the court had not received a list that would have helped ensure priority people were transported between the prison and the court each day.

In another case, accused double murderer Perry Kouroumblis, 66, of Easey Street, failed to appear on the transplant list one morning, days before a preliminary hearing.

The court was adjourned for approximately two hours until the situation was resolved.

state Bail Law was changed in March prioritizing community safety and making bail more difficult for some offences, such as violent crimes.

Bail applications appeared to be prioritized over other types of cases, according to a Victorian Courts Services document submitted to a parliamentary inquiry.

Senior Sergeant Tim Lawrence, from the police custody management section, told the court that on the day the local woman was to be sentenced, all 20 cells at the Heidelberg courthouse were occupied.

Lawrence said 24 people across the state could not appear in court alone that day, and a short-term solution was not on the horizon.

“We are living in difficult times. The numbers are astronomically high,” he said.

“We are all fed up with the current system. We are trying to make it work the best we can. Unfortunately, there is no short-term solution.”

“I would be reluctant to make guarantees that I know cannot be fulfilled at this time.”

Poulter put it bluntly, saying the system had failed for the fourth time in his courtroom alone.

A plan was eventually put in place for prison staff to take the accused woman to court at the next available hearing date in December.

Corrections Victoria data shows there was a 21 per cent increase in the number of prisoners going unsentenced in the first 10 months of this year compared to the same period last year.

As of October 31, there were 2,547 unsentenced prisoners in detention. Additionally, 4,232 inmates were in state prisons.

Ten years ago the average number of unconvicted prisoners was 1,525.

Last month, this imprint appeared judges were angry that bail law changes were fueling legal gridlock.

Holding cells below Melbourne Magistrates’ Court were so full in November that prison staff were having to choose who to bring to court in person from police stations and remand centers across the state.

Those who were not prioritized were allowed to appear on non-working video links or had their cases postponed until they did.

Ellen Murphy, Center for Women’s Law and Advocacy, said delays in getting people arraigned are an entirely predictable consequence of the state’s bail reforms.

Murphy said overcrowding in police cells was of particular concern in Koori courts, where physical attendance was required for defendants to participate in sentencing hearings with Aboriginal Elders and the judge.

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