"The ‘egregious’ history of likely new Nauru operator includes allegations of gang rape and murder in its US prisons", 4 September 2022

The US private prisons operator likely to take over Australia’s offshore processing regime on Nauru has previously been accused of “gross negligence” and “egregious” security failures that allegedly led to the gang-rape of a woman in detention, the murder of two retirees by escaped prisoners, and the months-long solitary confinement of a US citizen wrongfully held in immigration detention.

The Department of Home Affairs is finalising negotiations with the US-based Management and Training Corporation, which the department has announced as its preferred tenderer to provide “facilities, garrison, transferee arrivals and reception services” for Australia’s offshore regime on Nauru from next month. No contracts have yet been signed.

An investigation by the Guardian has uncovered a litany of security breaches and custodial failures within MTC-run places of detention. MTC is the third-largest US operator of private prisons, running 21 corrections and immigration detention centres.

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Guardian Australia put a series of questions to MTC regarding these cases and its security record more broadly. The company referred all queries to the Department of Home Affairs.

A spokesperson for the department said all of those currently held on Nauru were in community accommodation and that the new contract would not involve “detention”, but “if required, closed compound arrangements are implemented for the shortest possible period”.

Under the proposed contract, MTC would be obliged to “treat all transferees with respect and courtesy, and without harassment of any kind; and behave in a tolerant, respectful and culturally sensitive manner towards transferees, avoiding perceptions of discrimination and bias”, among other conditions.

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