Prison officers walk off job after Covid outbreak

Prison officers at a Queensland jail are on strike after a Covid outbreak and a refusal from hierarchy to quarantine positive prisoners.

Prison officers are striking at one the state’s jails after a Covid outbreak and a refusal from hierarchy to put all positive prisoners in one unit.

The Courier-Mail has been told more than 70 officers at Lotus Glen jail, west of Cairns, have walked out citing safety concerns

An officer said about 12 prisoners had tested positive to Covid but that management had refused to allow all prisoners to be put into one unit.

The officer said every time they had to do something involving a Covid-positive prisoner they had to move others out of the unit which caused them to get angry and violent because it meant less time to contact family.

“All we wanted was to put prisoners in cells with meal hatches,” an officer said.

“It makes the managing of the centre easier.

“It’s been a stalemate, they didn’t want to do it.

“The majority of the jail is locked down.”

A Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said the organisation was making the “best practice decisions” based upon expert advice from Queensland Health.

“Our number one priority remains the safety and security of our officers, prisoners, and centres,” the spokesman said.

“Business continuity has been enacted at the Lotus Glen Correctional Centre including the cancellation of all visits since this morning.”