Guards resign after taking prisoner to pub

Two prison guards in Australia's Northern Territory have resigned in disgrace after taking a prisoner they were in charge of to an outback pub. An internal NT Department of Correctional Services (NTDCS) investigation began after a member of the public complained about seeing a prisoner at a pub in Nhulunbuy in Arnhem Land in April.



The prisoner, who was deemed of low risk and non-violent, was wearing his prison clothes in the pub and became drunk. A complaint about the situation was made in May. It was understood the two guards were in charge of the prisoner who was being housed at the Datjala prison work camp in the town.

Department spokesman David Harris confirmed two officers resigned after breaching the NTDCS Code of Conduct. "Following an internal investigation, the officers were asked to show cause [as to] why their employment should not be terminated," he said. "They then tendered their resignations."



He said the internal investigation did not find any evidence the prisoner had been drinking alcohol while at the pub. On Friday, a spokesman for Correctional Services Minister John Elferink said the actions of the guards had been a "brain freeze" and a "gross dereliction of duty" and had been dealt with appropriately.