South Australia Government spends $1 million keeping prisoner Jacqueline Davies safe THE South Australian Government has spent more than $1 million detaining a female prisoner who has repeatedly self-harmed and assaulted corrections officers. Correctional Services Minister Michael O'Brien today told State Parliament the Government had spent almost $500,000 on staffing costs to monitor the prisoner, Jacqueline Davies, 40. Specialised accommodation for her at Port Augusta prison cost a further $450,000 and modifications to accommodation at the Adelaide Women's Prison $75,000. Mr O'Brien said Ms Davies had been subject to a "strict restraint regime" and had complained that she had been restrained for long periods of time. An investigation by State Ombudsman Richard Bingham, released today, said that Ms Davies was transferred from the Adelaide Women's Prison to Yatala Labour Prison in July 2011 following "a number of self-harm attempts." The investigation found that for the "majority of the eight months" she was at Yatala she was cuffed to her bed for about 22 hours a day. In his findings, Mr Bingham said the length of time she was restrained, the manner in which she was restrained and the length of time the regime lasted was "not in accordance with accepted national and international standards." The investigation also found that Ms Davies: WAS not allowed to go to the toilet; WAS fed an unhealthy diet; WAS dressed in a canvas smock HAD "minimal access" to outside areas and; AT times she was not able to brush her teeth or hair. Mr Bingham said that while the department was concerned that Ms Davies did not self-harm and that the risk of unrestraining her was high, he ruled it acted in a "wrong" manner. "The department and health professionals in contact with Ms Davies agreed that the most appropriate place for her was within the forensic mental health system, not a correctional facility," he said. I understand that if she was in Victoria, she would have been cared for in a mental health facility - that is, in a therapeutic environment. It is entirely inappropriate that prisoners requiring mental health care are denied that care and it is concerning that it appears to be a result of insufficient mental health beds. He said he has recommended the department, in consulation with mental health services, implement a policy covering the restraing and management of mentally ill prisoners. He said Ms Davies was moved to the forensic mental health centre, James Nash House, in July 2012 before being transferred to Port Augusta Prison, where she has been since October 2012. Mr O'Brien told Parliament the Government received consistent medical advice that she did not fit the criteria necessary to be admitted to a mental health facility such as James Nash House. "Significant money has been invested into keeping this individual safe and alive," he said. Infrastructure works included the removal of all ligature points ... the laying of soft-fall surfacing across a recreation yard and replacing standard departmental steel furniture with anti-ligature plastic furniture. To enable the corrections department to better handle such cases in future, Mr O'Brien said the government had funded two 10-bed high security units at the Adelaide Women's Prison for women with complex mental health and behaviour issues. Construction is due to be completed by the end of this year. A high dependency unit will also be constructed at Yatala Labour Prison. Opposition corrections spokesman Dan van Holst Pellekaan said the report showed the government had its priorities wrong in shackling Ms Davies to a prison bed rather than admitting her to a mental health facility. Read Mr Bingham's full report here