Prison inmate sues Port Phillip Prison

A Melbourne jail so packed with prisoners it welded single beds into bunks is now being sued after an inmate toppled to the floor while climbing into bed.

A prisoner, who is suing the State of Victoria and G4S Custodial Services for an injury caused by a fall, told the Herald Sun, “It was an Olympic sport to get into bed”.

In a County Court writ filed by his lawyers at Arnold Thomas & Becker, he claims the State of Victoria and G4S were negligent in installing the bunks without ladders and failed to prevent a “foreseeable risk of injury”.

The injured prisoner is claiming damages, interest and costs, with Arnold Thomas & Becker lawyer Cameron Doig saying the State and G4S had a duty to protect him from harm.

“They breached that duty when they instructed him to access his upper bunk by climbing onto a chair, causing an injury that impacts our client’s day to day life,” he said.

Mr Doig said G4S shouldn’t have installed upper bunks without ladders and failed to assess and inspect the bed to ensure it was safe to climb into, resulting in the inmate’s “significant injuries”.

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