DFCE's segregated confinement or padded cell, which protects detainee and staff from harm until a proper medical and psychological evaluation can be made of the detainee, if required.

The keys, held by Sgt Richard Neal, are now ceremonial but can act as a manual back-up to the automatic cell doors. Sgt Craig Peacey drills detainees. Cpl Rebecca Moverly on duty. Detainees make use of the library during the daily recreation period. Sgt Richard Neal monitors DFCE’s extensive close circuit television system. A detainee reads DFCE’s standing orders in a stage-one cell laid out for inspection.

Short, sharp shock
Army newspaper’s Cpl Sean Burton was sent to DFCE, returning (sooner than we hoped) with the facts on what goes on behind closed doors at the tri-service detention centre.

Discipline is a cornerstone of any army. If discipline breaks down, the green machine breaks down. Sometimes a cog in the green machine needs fixing because it’s not performing as well expected and the commander needs to make a tough decision – does he throw the cog away or try and fix it?

Most commanders would want to try and fix the problem, rather than taking the easy option and just give up.

But if the cog has a discipline problem that can be fixed, an often-overlooked option is to send them to the Defence Force Correctional Establishment (DFCE) for retraining.

Chances are they will then return to their unit a better soldier both professionally and personally.

Most of DFCE’s successful rehabilitation is hidden behind a smokescreen of half-truths, exaggerations and myths – all of which make a good yarn at morno’s.

The unsensational fact is that DFCE is continuing a long Australian tradition of rehabilitation over punishment which began during WW1 at the first AIF detention barracks, which opened on November 1, 1917, at the former civil prison in Lewes, Essex UK.

Up until then, men of the AIF were spread throughout 15 primitive British military detention barracks where they received poor medical attention and were badly fed.

The British system appeared to be focused on punishment rather than rehabilitation.

When it finally closed in October 1919, Lewes Detention Barracks had held 3652 Australians.

The running of the Lewes detention Barracks was the responsibility of the ANZAC Provost Corps, predecessors of today’s RACMP, who were committed to dealing humanely and fairly with those undergoing detention as opposed to the British system.

Today the ADF has 33 detention facilities and one corrective detention centre – DFCE, at Holsworthy, Sydney.

The role of the DFCE is to hold and provide correctional training of Service Persons Under Sentence (SUS) and the holding of Service Personnel Under Arrest (SUA) temporarily committed for safekeeping.

A SUS can be held for up to two years although in practice it is rare for any member to be held for longer than three months.
SUA are held pending the laying of charges or awaiting a hearing, a trial by a service tribunal, or confirmation of a sentence of detention or imprisonment awarded by a service tribunal.

The current DFCE complex opened in April 1992 after a major rebuild and has 26 purpose-built cells, which can hold 22 detainees at any one time.

The hollow square complex consists of two cellblocks, West Block and East Block, each containing thirteen cells with one cell being converted into a female SAL.

The end cell of each block was converted into segregated confinement, with one cell being padded.

The longest detention on record is 270 days, however, the average detention is 14-16 days.

All members of the tri-service staff at DFCE undertake a four-day Detention Centre Supervisors Course followed by continuation training as directed.

CO DFCE is Commandant of the Army Military Police Training Centre (COMDT AMPTC) Lt-Col Cheryl Pearce who stated that the old image of staff at DFCE being prison guards was a total misunderstanding of their role and aim.

“The staff here are instructors, not guards. It is detention and there is still the element of punishment, however, the punishment isn’t about being blasted by staff with excess PT and drill. It is about ensuring detainees meet the minimum standard required of the ADF,” she says.

In a comparison to the ethos of the ANZAC Provost Corps in 1917 at the first AIF detention centre, she says their focus was on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

“We retrain them to Defence standards and instil the values, ethos and ethics required in the ADF so we can send them back to their units retrained and ready to soldier on.

“There is no longer a financial cost to the unit to send a member to DFCE. This cost is met by single service legal funds.

“We employ individual case management, utilising a wide range of professional agencies to assist with the detainees issues/problems. This enables DFCE to address the cause rather than the effect of the offence and assist in their training for return to their unit.”

The individual case management doesn’t stop the day the detainee is released back to his or her unit.

On returning to their units, detainees will have a post -detention report written and a thorough follow-up procedure is implemented.

Lt-Col Pearce says the one ADF detention standard was also applicable in the structure and layout of facilities.

“Townsville’s 1RAR, 2RAR and 4 Fd Regt are in the process of building new detention facilities, which are in accordance with ADF Detention standards. They all have close-circuit TV, providing the supervisors the ability to monitor detainees 24 hours a day. The cells are void of hanging points and the layout of the cells has been standardised to meet with best practice.”

DCOMDT and acting OIC DFCE Maj Phil Chapman agreed that they were under more scrutiny than their civilian counterparts so they worked harder to maintain the highest standards.

“We have the three services looking at us plus ADFHQ, all of whom are very conscious about detention and how we do it,” he says.

He said there was far more to their job of correcting behaviour than was properly perceived by the ADF.

“The nature of correction becomes a science for us because we’re working with the psyche of people.

“It’s not just ‘this is the way it’s going to happen and this is how you will do it.’ You have to think how you can manage people to get the best out them.

“You’re managing the person as opposed to just making them do something to correct them, we’re trying to correct behaviour, so it’s really a science.”

On arrival at DFCE a detainee’s documentation is processed in the reception area and they will not proceed until all of their paperwork is correct and in order.

From there, they are marched to a search area where they are searched along with their personal kit, which is then removed from them.

After having been searched they are issued their DFCE kit, which includes a uniform of khaki military-style clothing.

Detainees can telephone their next of kin within the first 24 hours of their arrival but can only make one call a week thereafter.

Once processed, they are then placed in the observation cells for 48 hours.

After the first 48 hours they are transferred to Stage One, which is indicated by their red shoulder tabs, where they will stay if their sentence is for less than 14 days.

For a sentence longer than 14 days, and on passing their mandatory requirements, the detainees will progress to Stage Two, replacing their red tabs with blue ones.

Detainees sentenced for longer detention move to stage three, wear yellow tabs and have an easier cell layout to maintain.

After reading and signing an acknowledgement of DFCE standing orders, detainees start training within a strictly- adhered-to timetable with a typical day commencing at 5.30am where they start their morning routine of shaving and showers in the immaculately clean SALs.

Breakfast, like all meals, is prepared off site and fuels the detainees for their morning routine of cleaning tasks, kit inspections and allocated tasks or training around DFCE.

Training involves drill, weapons, first aid and preparation of an hour-long military history presentation.

Detainees have access to a library and classroom where they can use a PC to enhance their presentation with powerpoint or other training aids.

Lunch, like all the meals, is one of the few opportunities detainees can talk to each other as they eat their meals with normal cutlery at colour stage-designated tables.

After lunch, more training or tasks are allocated, before the daily PT lesson.

A PTI from SME and DFCE staff supervise daily PT at the outdoor DFCE gym. Detainees get to use free weights, rowing and running machines.

“It’s a standard PT lesson – not a punishment. If the detainees want to work harder they load up the weights,” Lt-Col Pearce says.

After PT, the detainees’ shower and wait for dinner, then they prepare for the evening inspection.

If they pass the evening inspection and complete any additional tasks as directed by staff, they attend the recreation parade.

Recreation parade is a one and a half hour privilege where detainees watch news and current affairs programs or read a book, all under the supervision of an instructor.

Detainees have access to the Holsworthy ‘fat truck’ where staff purchases cigarettes and confectionary on their behalf.

These can be eaten when they have earned the privilege.

Smokers are permitted four cigarettes a day where they stand on a red line in silence and smoke.

A big adjustment for detainees is an enforced lights out at 8pm which leaves plenty of time for a long hard think.

Detainees are expected to have a high attention to detail as laid out in DFCE standing orders

A measured success and deterrent

Former detainee, Pte Dave (name withheld as requested) holds a highly technical and specialised job in the ADF but was sentenced to 14 days at DFCE for being AWOL and intoxicated on duty.

He said his two weeks of retraining was beneficial from a personal view.

“There was a lot of character building. Things like shouting the request sequences for permission to move about the place – you get the confidence to call it out loudly and fluently,” he said.

“People think you go there to get broken down and humiliated, but you don’t.

“You come out with pride and confidence in yourself that you can do whatever you put your mind to.

“It’s a learning thing. Once you have been taught everything they want you to do, you sign the standing orders. Then you’re duty bound to do the right thing so you just do what you’re told and get on with it.

“I have learnt a lot down there, you’re treated well, the food was great and the PT was good.”

He said initially he found the short, sharp shock similar to recruit training at ARTC.

“It’s the same as Kapooka, when you think ‘how am I going to learn all this stuff?’ But you do and your time management skills improve.

“The inspections were hard, as well as getting used to the routines and learning the time management skills.

“It’s not so much about learning short cuts but learning how to do things quicker and more efficiently.”

Pte Dave said he had seen some people come back from DFCE totally changed, whereas he had only changed to a point.

“I learnt a lot about myself and respect for other people but now I think it’s more of a deterrent for me personally– I don’t want to go back there.”

– Cpl Sean Burton

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