My source tells me that Serco is paying this fine – how nice of the Australian government to try and teach Serco a lesson this way rather than actually improving human rights for the asylum seekers in prison – for 2010 failures towards refugees as well as escapes:
The immigration department has fined the company that runs its detention centres for contract breaches, including a series of breakouts.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship contracts the UK-based Serco to run its detention centres. The latest contract – worth about $370 million – was signed in 2009.
“Under the contract between Serco and DIAC there are provisions for the imposition of fines and sanctions against Serco for lax practices or incompetence,” a DIAC spokesman said.
The fines reportedly exceeded $4 million, but the department has refused to reveal the figure.
“The details are commercial in confidence,” the spokesman said.