Prison work camp reforms to deliver greater community benefits

Communities across Queensland are set to benefit from a proposed expansion of the long running and highly successful prisoner work camp scheme.

Premier Anna Bligh and Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence today launched a consultation paper to seek community views about the expansion of the Queensland Corrective Services work camp program.

The expansion will ensure valued community projects such as church and historical building restorations, graffiti removal, cemetery maintenance, and parkland rejuvenation can be completed across Queensland, where local councils are struggling with labour shortages.

Ms Bligh said: “We want regional Queenslanders to help shape the way work camps contribute free labour to their communities in the future.

“This consultation paper heralds the biggest reform of low security custody since the introduction of prison farms more than 70 years ago.

“Under the proposal all low security correctional centres in Queensland would be re-designated as base work camps, from which low risk offenders would be posted to camps in rural areas or community service sites within one hour’s travel.

“Uneconomical agricultural production will be phased out at the prison farms freeing up greater numbers of low-risk prisoners to perform community service in the wider community.

“Prisoners will be making better use of their time giving back to the community and the community will benefit. It’s a win-win.”

Ms Spence said: “The work camp program is one of Queensland Corrective Services’ most successful offender rehabilitation initiatives.

“Since the establishment of work camps in the early 1990s, they have provided rapid and effective response to natural disaster and emergencies such as floods, cyclones and more recently equine influenza.

“Work camps have now evolved to become an integral component of many communities, delivering key services and projects that local councils would otherwise be unable to fund.

“Last year work camp prisoners performed more than 100,000 hours of free labour with an estimated value of $1.5 million for Queensland communities.

“This proposal is about expanding and strengthening the existing program as we move Toward Q2 – Tomorrow’s Queensland, so that more communities can benefit and more offenders can make reparation in the future.

“With the growth of Queensland’s modern economy, and emerging labour shortages, the Queensland Government needs to equip offenders with skills that will give them their best chance of getting employment in the current job market.

“Offenders also need to be able to demonstrate that they are contributing something back to the community.

“Participation in work camps helps prisoners develop new skills and a work ethic – key elements of rehabilitation.

“Research shows that offenders are less likely to re-offend if they have jobs to go to when they are released. So by providing prisoners with the experience they need to get jobs upon their eventual release, we are helping to prevent crime in the future and building safer communities.”

Ms Spence said supervised prisoners will work in the community on projects chosen by local advisory committees.

“Advisory committees will include representatives of councils, charity organisations and local residents and be chaired by experienced Corrective Services officers,” Ms Spence said.

“These community advisory committees will choose projects of the greatest benefit to their community.

“Sex offenders and repeat violent offenders are ineligible to participate in the prisoner work camps, so there is no way that they will be working on community projects.”

There are currently 11 male work camps in Queensland, located at Innisfail, Julia Creek, Boulia, Winton, Clermont, Springsure, Blackall, Charleville, Mitchell, St George and Dirranbandi. Two female work camps are located at Bowen and Warwick.

If the community endorse the reform proposal, prison farms at Lotus Glen near Mareeba, Townsville, Rockhampton, the Darling Downs, and Numinbah and Palen Creek in south east Queensland, will transition to work camp bases during 2009.

Opportunities for female prisoners to participate in work camps will increase, with the transition of Palen Creek Correctional Centre to an all female centre, with provisions for mothers and babies.

Up to 100 female prisoners will then be able to perform community service in the Rathdowney and Beaudesert areas.

Information sessions will be held in regional towns explaining the proposal in more detail and giving residents further opportunity to comment or ask questions.

For more information, a copy of the green paper or to make comment, visit www.correctiveservices.qld.gov.au

Public submissions will be accepted up to 31 December 2008.

Media contact: 3239 6218

2 November 2008