Easing overcrowding in our prisons a priority

Published Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 at 05:55 PM

Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services and Minister for Corrective Services
The Honourable Bill Byrne

The Palaszczuk Government has moved to address overcrowding in Queensland correctional centres through a number of initiatives in the State Budget, and at the same time committed to keeping a tight rein on sexual offenders.

Since January 2012, the number of prisoners in Queensland has grown by over 38 per cent despite no significant increase in crime rates.

Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) has a current built-cell capacity of 6,076 in secure centres. As at 6 June 2016, approximately 116 per cent of this built capacity was occupied.

The Government has committed to spending an additional $88.5 million over five years to remediate hanging points from all older style secure cells and implement other measures to reduce the risk of prisoner suicide at Borallon Training and Correctional Centre.

This is expected to allow the remaining 244 cells to be opened at Borallon in addition to the 248 cells already reopened, to address growing demand in the system.

This will allow Borallon, which re-opened in April 2016 with a gradual intake of prisoners, to further alleviate overcrowding in other correctional centres in South-East Queensland.

Borallon has a strong focus on providing education and job skills for young male prisoners, providing them with a greater chance to reintegrate in the community when released and not reoffend.

Since January 2012, to 31 March 2016, the number of offenders supervised by QCS in the community has grown by 23.5 per cent from 15,245 to 18,824.

The Government has responded to the demands of increasing offender numbers by providing additional funding of $20.5 million over two years to support the increased operations of the Probation and Parole Service and Queensland Parole Boards.

Queensland Corrective Services has also been allocated $1 million for a business case for a 328 cell expansion of the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre and to review and update business cases for infrastructure projects at the Southern Queensland Correctional Precinct near Gatton, and the Capricornia Correctional Centre at Rockhampton.

The business cases involve the 1004-cell Stage 2 development at Southern Queensland and a 244-cell expansion at Capricornia to meet current and future capacity demands.

The Budget will also provide additional funding of $15 million over four years for priority non-custodial infrastructure for adequate facilities to accommodate additional support and ancillary staff required to service the growing prisoner population.

This includes $2 million for additional contingency accommodation for offenders subject to continuing supervision orders in the community under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003 (DPSOA).

QCS will continue to monitor high-risk sexual offenders who are under continuing supervision in the community using a range of cutting edge methods.

Funding of $5.1 million over four years and ongoing funding of $1.3 million a year has been provided to update the modern technology already used to electronically monitor DPSOA offenders, and implement a Geographic Information System.

The Government has also committed to additional funding of $10.3 million over four years and $2.6 million a year ongoing to continue, expand and specialise the statewide delivery of sexual offender treatment programs.

QCS will continue to play its part in addressing and curbing domestic violence.

Funding of $54.6 million net over four years across the Department of Justice and Attorney-General has been designated as part of the Government's response to the Not Now, Not Ever report into domestic and family violence in Queensland.

Funding within the Corrective Services service area will be used to support the delivery of specialist domestic and family violence courts and support participation in high risk teams to provide an integrated response across Government and the community to domestic and family violence.

ENDS

 

Media Contact: Michelle Connolly 0478 325 738