More than 12 escapes or attempted escapes have occurred in the 14 months since Management and Training Corporation (MTC) took control of immigration detention in Australia. The US private prison company, operating through its local subsidiary Secure Journeys, has been plagued by catastrophic security failures, including fires, stabbings, and a lack of basic safety equipment, according to internal documents and interviews obtained by Guardian Australia.
Ministerial Intervention
In September 2025, just six months after MTC assumed control, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke summoned the company's global president, Dan Marquardt, for a secret face-to-face meeting. The meeting was prompted by a series of alarming incidents, including the escape of a high-risk detainee during transport to an airport for deportation. The detainee, who was not handcuffed despite being deemed high risk, was transported in a standard Kia Carnival lacking safety features like Perspex barriers. Three sources confirmed that MTC was using hire cars for detainee escorts.
Fire Response Failures
On 23 September 2025, MTC staff responded to a fire in a locked room at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. The detainee inside was unconscious, and flames and smoke were visible. Despite fires being common in detention centres, staff lacked basic respiratory equipment and fire-response training, leading to two staff members being hospitalised with smoke inhalation. Comcare, the federal work safety regulator, found that MTC had not provided proper training or equipment six months after taking over the centre.
Escape and Security Lapses
More than 12 escapes or attempted escapes have occurred, many during transport and escort operations. In one incident, a child sexual abuse offender deemed high-risk escaped custody during an escort to Bankstown Hospital in Sydney, despite being handcuffed and under close watch. In September, a detainee escaped from Brisbane Immigration Detention Centre by climbing a light pole next to a boundary fence; his absence was not discovered for 12 hours. In Melbourne, two detainees fled a guarded MTC vehicle traveling less than 500 meters, with one evading capture for four days.
Risk Assessment System Failures
Comcare has warned the Home Affairs Department that MTC's risk assessment system for classifying detainees is so flawed that it puts staff at serious risk of violence. The regulator has established a dedicated inspection program for immigration detention, citing an increase in notifiable incidents, including serious injuries, self-harm, and detainee-on-detainee violence. A damning report found that the department contravened work health and safety laws at at least one centre, with risks that were foreseeable.
Staffing and Medical Issues
Staff shortages have led to seriously ill detainees missing medical appointments because MTC lacks the personnel to escort them to health centres. A March report by the National Preventive Mechanism found critically low staffing levels compromising safety. In one instance, a detainee flagged for frequent monitoring was able to set fire to a staff compound at Villawood after it was left unmanned for hours. At Parklea Correctional Centre, which MTC also runs, staff have been seconded to immigration detention due to shortages, exacerbating problems.
Government Response and Penalties
The government has charged MTC hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for performance failures. However, removing MTC from the centres would be hugely expensive, and the Home Affairs budget is so stretched that redundancies are being pursued. Serco, the previous operator, is considered the only other option but would take months to retool. A departmental source described the situation as a sinking ship, with no deaths yet occurring only by sheer luck.
An Australian Border Force spokesperson said immigration detention is a complex environment, and the welfare and safety of detainees and staff are top priorities. MTC Secure Journeys stated it takes health and safety seriously, with systems and training in place, and continues to review arrangements.
