Updated
ACT Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury says he does not think Canberra's jail will ever be perfectly human rights compliant.
When the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) first opened in 2008 it was dubbed Australia's first human rights prison.
But the jail has been plagued by overcrowding and there have been a number of cases where prisoners have been assaulted
During an ACT Legislative Assembly committee hearing today Mr Rattenbury was asked by the Canberra Liberals if the jail is in fact human rights compliant.
"I don't think it will ever be perfectly human rights compliant in that broad sense," he said.
"Expectations will change and I'm going to clarify this now because having just uttered those words I'm sure they're going to be thrown back at me at some point.
"Circumstances that will change, expectations will change, there will be different views on exactly what human rights compliance is."
The prison's official visitor Ivan Potas also told the committee that overcrowding has been the most significant issue at the jail over the past year.
He says prisoners are being locked down more than they used to be, and the overcrowding is causing tension between guards and prisoners.
Mr Potas says matters are made worse because certain categories of prisoners can not be housed together.
"There are many prisoners who live in fear of being mixed with other prisoners," he said.
Mr Potas warns there is a greater potential for trouble with more prisoners being squeezed into the jail.
The Government is considering a new model for a needle and syringe program at the jail.
A 2011 report by the Public Health Association listed three possible models for the program.
But during the committee hearing Mr Rattenbury remained tight lipped about what model the Government is considering.
"I'm probably not in a position to sort of go into the very, very specific details," he said.
"The focus is trying to find a workable model that's safe, provides a good level of security and delivers the health outcomes that we're after."
But the ABC has obtained documents showing the Government is considering a one-for-one medical exchange.
Under the plan prisoners would be given clean injecting equipment by a medical officer in the prison's health centre during a confidential consultation.
Each needle and syringe unit would have a special barcode and would be returned in a supplied sharps container.
Staff at the jail received a briefing on the model in June but workers remain opposed to the introduction of any needle exchange program.
Mr Rattenbury says no decision has been made about what to do if the guards refuse to implement a program.
The Government will not commit to a timeframe on a decision.
Topics: states-and-territories, prisons-and-punishment, act, canberra-2600
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