Published Monday, 15 September, 2008 at 02:06 PM
Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
PREMIER ANNOUNCES TOUGH NEW LAWS FOR PRISONS
State Cabinet today endorsed tough new security measures including maximum lifetime bans on people trying to bring contraband into Queensland jails.
Premier Anna Bligh said the Corrective Services (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill also includes biometric identification of visitors, limits on prisoner trust accounts, abolishment of reintegration and resettlement leave and closes a loophole on prisoners profiting from artwork sales.
Ms Bligh said the amendments would further enhance safety and security at Queensland prisons.
“We already have some of the toughest prison procedures and systems in the country,” Ms Bligh said.
“However, these changes will introduce new layers of security within our prison system.”
Ms Bligh said visitors trying to smuggle in contraband will be caught, prosecuted and banned.
“This is part of the Government’s zero tolerance on drugs in prisons,” she said.
“So far in 2008, 21 visitors have been charged with more than 25 drug-related offences including possession of a dangerous drug, possession of a drug utensil and supply of a dangerous drug.
“At the moment as well as facing the full force of the law, if we catch a visitor attempting to smuggle in drugs we can suspend their visiting rights for 12 months.
“This legislation will mean we can ban them from all prisons for life.
“The vast majority of people caught trying to smuggle drugs are women, many who are pressured into it.
“They face prosecution and now in the worst cases a lifetime ban. The message is clear, don’t smuggle drugs, not for love or money.”
Ms Bligh said under the amendments Queensland Corrective Services will also be able to impose conditions on the access of visitors at anytime and all visitors will be required to undergo biometric scanning.
“Biometric scanning technology is currently being rolled out at our correctional centres,” Ms Bligh said.
“We will amend legislation to allow Queensland Corrective Services officers to collect biometric information from all adult visitors and require that this system be used to access a correctional centre every time the visitor attends.
“This means all visitors will be enrolled on this system.
“It scans the finger and converts it into a mathematical map for identification purposes. It is not a fingerprint and cannot be matched against fingerprint records. However, it allows corrective services to verify the identity of any visitor.
“We live in an era of rising identity theft. This eliminates it and will support our new crackdown on people who attempt to smuggle drugs into our jails.
“Some visitors get upset by having their finger scanned but they need to understand we are running high security prisons.
“The legislation will prevent people challenging our right to use this technology.”
Minister for Police and Corrective Services, Judy Spence, said the trust account measures will stop large sums of money from being deposited into prisoners trust accounts.
“Trust accounts receive the prisoners amenities allowance for toiletries, food and other items and the majority of prisoners have on average just $100 in their accounts,” she said.
“Anyone putting money into an account will have to provide their proof of identity and large sums will not be accepted.
“This is because prisoners can be pressured or extorted to put money into another account.
“Unidentified sources of money can be linked to criminal activity.
“At the moment if we receive money we’re required to put it into a prisoner’s trust account. This allows us now to freeze the money while we investigate the source.”
Ms Bligh said new amendments would also prohibit the on-sale of prisoner artwork.
“Corrective Services already has in place a system for managing sales of prisoner artwork which results in the proceeds of sales being shared with approved charities and not going into prisoner’s pockets,” she said.
“However we have had a recent case where a prisoner distributed his artwork to individuals in the community who then proceeded to list it for sale on the internet.
“In that particular case the seller was persuaded to remove the item from sale but if the seller decided to continue with the sale there was no capacity for prosecution.
“To overcome this situation we will change the law to provide that persons receiving artwork under these terms will be prohibited from selling the artwork with a simple offence created to prohibit such conduct.”
Ms Spence said the abolishment of reintegration and resettlement leave is occurring because they have been superseded by changes to the Queensland transitions program and work camps.
She said the draft legislation is expected to be introduced into State Parliament in November this year.
15 September, 2008
Contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Premier Anna Bligh said the Corrective Services (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill also includes biometric identification of visitors, limits on prisoner trust accounts, abolishment of reintegration and resettlement leave and closes a loophole on prisoners profiting from artwork sales.
Ms Bligh said the amendments would further enhance safety and security at Queensland prisons.
“We already have some of the toughest prison procedures and systems in the country,” Ms Bligh said.
“However, these changes will introduce new layers of security within our prison system.”
Ms Bligh said visitors trying to smuggle in contraband will be caught, prosecuted and banned.
“This is part of the Government’s zero tolerance on drugs in prisons,” she said.
“So far in 2008, 21 visitors have been charged with more than 25 drug-related offences including possession of a dangerous drug, possession of a drug utensil and supply of a dangerous drug.
“At the moment as well as facing the full force of the law, if we catch a visitor attempting to smuggle in drugs we can suspend their visiting rights for 12 months.
“This legislation will mean we can ban them from all prisons for life.
“The vast majority of people caught trying to smuggle drugs are women, many who are pressured into it.
“They face prosecution and now in the worst cases a lifetime ban. The message is clear, don’t smuggle drugs, not for love or money.”
Ms Bligh said under the amendments Queensland Corrective Services will also be able to impose conditions on the access of visitors at anytime and all visitors will be required to undergo biometric scanning.
“Biometric scanning technology is currently being rolled out at our correctional centres,” Ms Bligh said.
“We will amend legislation to allow Queensland Corrective Services officers to collect biometric information from all adult visitors and require that this system be used to access a correctional centre every time the visitor attends.
“This means all visitors will be enrolled on this system.
“It scans the finger and converts it into a mathematical map for identification purposes. It is not a fingerprint and cannot be matched against fingerprint records. However, it allows corrective services to verify the identity of any visitor.
“We live in an era of rising identity theft. This eliminates it and will support our new crackdown on people who attempt to smuggle drugs into our jails.
“Some visitors get upset by having their finger scanned but they need to understand we are running high security prisons.
“The legislation will prevent people challenging our right to use this technology.”
Minister for Police and Corrective Services, Judy Spence, said the trust account measures will stop large sums of money from being deposited into prisoners trust accounts.
“Trust accounts receive the prisoners amenities allowance for toiletries, food and other items and the majority of prisoners have on average just $100 in their accounts,” she said.
“Anyone putting money into an account will have to provide their proof of identity and large sums will not be accepted.
“This is because prisoners can be pressured or extorted to put money into another account.
“Unidentified sources of money can be linked to criminal activity.
“At the moment if we receive money we’re required to put it into a prisoner’s trust account. This allows us now to freeze the money while we investigate the source.”
Ms Bligh said new amendments would also prohibit the on-sale of prisoner artwork.
“Corrective Services already has in place a system for managing sales of prisoner artwork which results in the proceeds of sales being shared with approved charities and not going into prisoner’s pockets,” she said.
“However we have had a recent case where a prisoner distributed his artwork to individuals in the community who then proceeded to list it for sale on the internet.
“In that particular case the seller was persuaded to remove the item from sale but if the seller decided to continue with the sale there was no capacity for prosecution.
“To overcome this situation we will change the law to provide that persons receiving artwork under these terms will be prohibited from selling the artwork with a simple offence created to prohibit such conduct.”
Ms Spence said the abolishment of reintegration and resettlement leave is occurring because they have been superseded by changes to the Queensland transitions program and work camps.
She said the draft legislation is expected to be introduced into State Parliament in November this year.
15 September, 2008
Contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500