Major update on SA prisoner who began hunger strike two weeks ago

A South Australian prisoner who was on a hunger strike for more than two weeks has returned to prison.

Anthony John Smith,44, was transferred to hospital on Wednesday from Yatala Labour Prison in Adelaide after a hunger strike that started on July 3.

His family said he had now returned to solitary confinement, where he had been held for the previous eight months.

The Department For Correctional Services has refused to publicly comment on Smith’s case because of restrictions under the Correctional Services Act that prevents it from disclosing information on individual prisoners.

The Legal Services Commission of South Australia said prison executives can send a prisoner to solitary confinement while they investigate alleged offences by the prisoner, for a prisoner’s safety, to protect other prisoners or to ensure security within the prison.

Smith began his hunger strike when he was moved far from his loved ones from Yatala Labour Prison in Adelaide to Port Augusta Prison, 308km northwest of the city.

He was moved back to Yatala soon after, but the 44-year-old continued to refuse food and said he was protesting against being denied regular family visits and raising awareness of Aboriginal deaths in custody.

“Anthony’s requests are reasonable, he seeks accommodation in a single cell in F Division and to return to his original regimen that allowed regular visitation and communication between him, myself, and our children,” his partner told 7NEWS.

“The importance of maintaining these family connections cannot be overstated, especially considering our children’s special needs and the significant role a present father plays in their lives.”

Smith pleaded guilty to a string of armed robberies committed in 1999 and 2000.

He is serving a 30-year sentence imposed in 2003, with a non-parole period of 18 years.

Smith was 19 when he committed his first robbery, at the Buckingham Arms Hotel in Walkerville in 1999.

A month after being arrested, he became the state’s most wanted man, escaping custody while visiting his father in hospital.

During his time on the run, Smith committed two more robberies.