Australasian Correctional Management
Australasian Correctional Management (ACM) was a private company owned by Wackenhut, a subsidiary of multinational security giant Group 4 Securicor. From 1998 until 2003 ACM was responsible for running at least six Immigration detention centres in Australia. ACM also ran the Auckland Central Remand Prison (ACRP)[1] in New Zealand from its opening in July 2000 until control reverted to the Public Prisons Service in July 2005 due to the passing of the Corrections Bill 2005.[2]
ACM attracted strong criticism from the Australian left for alleged abuses of asylum seekers detained in its facilities.[3] This climaxed with a protest in Easter 2002 at the Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing Centre. This became part of the inspiration for the video game Escape From Woomera.
ACM handed over the running of these centres to its parent company Group 4 Falck (now Group 4 Securicor) in 2003. It also changed the name of its New Zealand wing to Global Expertise in Outsourcing NZ ltd (GEO) while it was still running ACRP. The GEO Group Australia is still running prisons such as the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Victoria.
Detention Centres formerly run by ACM
- Baxter Immigrant Reception and Processing Centre
- Fulham Correctional Centre
- Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre
- Perth Immigration Detention Centre
- Port Hedland Immigration Detention Centre
- Villawood Immigration Detention Centre
- Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing Centre
References
- ↑ http://www.corrections.govt.nz/public/aboutus/factsheets/prisons/acrp.html
- ↑ "Prison Privatisation Report International". Psiru.org. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ↑ Atkinson, Chris (20 March 2002). "Corporate Scumbag: Abusing refugees and prisoners: Australasian Correctional Management". Green Left Weekly (485). Greenleft.org.au. Retrieved 18 February 2014.