Published Tuesday, 23 December, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport
The Honourable Judy Spence
Prison searches uncover contraband in Christmas crackdown
The Christmas crackdown in Queensland’s prisons has already netted drugs, jail-house brews and contraband including tattoo guns, syringes and cigarette lighters.
With the prisoners Christmas Day dinner menu also released today, Acting Corrective Services Minister Robert Schwarten summed up his thoughts on Christmas in prison.
“I would rather eat a cold pie and drink a warm beer with a fly in it on my back verandah for Christmas than eat roast chicken in the best prison in Queensland,” Mr Schwarten said.
“Having said that, the festive season is traditionally a time when prisoners and visitors go to creative lengths to breach prison security.
“Custodial correctional officers, intelligence and dog squad officers across the State are working vigilantly to ensure increased security and surveillance,” he said.
So far this year 43 visitors have been charged with 46 offences after attempting to enter Queensland’s correctional centres with contraband.
“During the Christmas crackdown, prison brews have already been found at Brisbane, Lotus Glen, Brisbane Women’s and Borallon correctional centres hidden in plastic cereal and drink containers and secreted in garbage bins in kitchen, accommodation and laundry areas.
“Stashes of brew have ranged in quantity from two litres, to 600ml and 750ml bottles including ingredients like fruit salad, potatoes and sultanas.
“This kind of behaviour is just unbelievable, but thanks to vigilant, observant staff and state-of-the-art security systems, this brazen type of behaviour is detected,” Mr Schwarten said.
The latest crackdown, Operation Golf Agora, targeted visits sessions at Woodford Correctional Centre on Saturday (December 20), and resulted in four female visitors aged between 18 and 45 being charged with a total of seven drug-related offences. Six traffic infringement notices were also issued.
Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) intelligence officers and police from the QCS Investigation Unit, along with officers from Caboolture CIB, Woodford and the Deception Bay traffic branch converged on the centre where they conducted 34 random drug tests, 91 roadside breath tests, and 141 street checks of people entering the correctional centre reserve.
Mr Schwarten said prison visits officers across the State are kept extremely busy at this time of year, with thousands of people signed up to visit loved ones during the December-January festive period.
“Australia’s largest prison, the 1000-bed Woodford Correctional Centre, usually averages between 20 to 80 visitors for each session.
“Last year, in the last weekend before Christmas, the centre had 205 visitors on Saturday and 165 on Sunday.
“Between Monday December 15 and Sunday December 21, a total of 555 visitors attended the centre.
“Custodial correctional officers, drug detection dogs, state-of-the-art drug detection equipment and intelligence networks are at the frontline of perimeter security on a visits day – visitors are warned they will be caught if they attempt to smuggle drugs into a prison.”
Mr Schwarten said Christmas is an important period for prisoners to spend time with family and friends, with some centres hosting Christmas-themed visits sessions, BBQs and activities for children. Chaplains also conduct Christmas services and special visits.
Queensland’s youngest prisoners in the adult correctional system, 17-year-old male and female young offenders, also participate in Christmas activities including card making and decorating, Christmas-themed cooking, mural painting competitions, sporting competitions, trivia, team challenges and Christmas DVD viewing.
As of yesterday (December 22), there were 28 male and female young offenders in QCS custody at Brisbane (14), Capricornia (3), Lotus Glen (4), Maryborough (2), Townsville (2), Brisbane Women’s (2) and Townsville Women’s (1) correctional centres.
The typical Christmas day menu for Queensland’s 5400 prisoners includes:
Breakfast
Cereal; Bacon, egg, tomato; toast with margarine, jam, honey; tea
Lunch
Roast chicken and gravy; vegetables including pumpkin, potato, beans; plum pudding, ice cream, custard; fruit
Dinner
Ham; coleslaw; potato salad; bread with margarine, jam, honey; ice cream, jelly, fruit; tea
Minister Spence’s office: 3239 6172
With the prisoners Christmas Day dinner menu also released today, Acting Corrective Services Minister Robert Schwarten summed up his thoughts on Christmas in prison.
“I would rather eat a cold pie and drink a warm beer with a fly in it on my back verandah for Christmas than eat roast chicken in the best prison in Queensland,” Mr Schwarten said.
“Having said that, the festive season is traditionally a time when prisoners and visitors go to creative lengths to breach prison security.
“Custodial correctional officers, intelligence and dog squad officers across the State are working vigilantly to ensure increased security and surveillance,” he said.
So far this year 43 visitors have been charged with 46 offences after attempting to enter Queensland’s correctional centres with contraband.
“During the Christmas crackdown, prison brews have already been found at Brisbane, Lotus Glen, Brisbane Women’s and Borallon correctional centres hidden in plastic cereal and drink containers and secreted in garbage bins in kitchen, accommodation and laundry areas.
“Stashes of brew have ranged in quantity from two litres, to 600ml and 750ml bottles including ingredients like fruit salad, potatoes and sultanas.
“This kind of behaviour is just unbelievable, but thanks to vigilant, observant staff and state-of-the-art security systems, this brazen type of behaviour is detected,” Mr Schwarten said.
The latest crackdown, Operation Golf Agora, targeted visits sessions at Woodford Correctional Centre on Saturday (December 20), and resulted in four female visitors aged between 18 and 45 being charged with a total of seven drug-related offences. Six traffic infringement notices were also issued.
Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) intelligence officers and police from the QCS Investigation Unit, along with officers from Caboolture CIB, Woodford and the Deception Bay traffic branch converged on the centre where they conducted 34 random drug tests, 91 roadside breath tests, and 141 street checks of people entering the correctional centre reserve.
Mr Schwarten said prison visits officers across the State are kept extremely busy at this time of year, with thousands of people signed up to visit loved ones during the December-January festive period.
“Australia’s largest prison, the 1000-bed Woodford Correctional Centre, usually averages between 20 to 80 visitors for each session.
“Last year, in the last weekend before Christmas, the centre had 205 visitors on Saturday and 165 on Sunday.
“Between Monday December 15 and Sunday December 21, a total of 555 visitors attended the centre.
“Custodial correctional officers, drug detection dogs, state-of-the-art drug detection equipment and intelligence networks are at the frontline of perimeter security on a visits day – visitors are warned they will be caught if they attempt to smuggle drugs into a prison.”
Mr Schwarten said Christmas is an important period for prisoners to spend time with family and friends, with some centres hosting Christmas-themed visits sessions, BBQs and activities for children. Chaplains also conduct Christmas services and special visits.
Queensland’s youngest prisoners in the adult correctional system, 17-year-old male and female young offenders, also participate in Christmas activities including card making and decorating, Christmas-themed cooking, mural painting competitions, sporting competitions, trivia, team challenges and Christmas DVD viewing.
As of yesterday (December 22), there were 28 male and female young offenders in QCS custody at Brisbane (14), Capricornia (3), Lotus Glen (4), Maryborough (2), Townsville (2), Brisbane Women’s (2) and Townsville Women’s (1) correctional centres.
The typical Christmas day menu for Queensland’s 5400 prisoners includes:
Breakfast
Cereal; Bacon, egg, tomato; toast with margarine, jam, honey; tea
Lunch
Roast chicken and gravy; vegetables including pumpkin, potato, beans; plum pudding, ice cream, custard; fruit
Dinner
Ham; coleslaw; potato salad; bread with margarine, jam, honey; ice cream, jelly, fruit; tea
Minister Spence’s office: 3239 6172