Charity a major part of life for long-term prisoners

CHARITY is a surprisingly major part of life at Southern Queensland Correctional Centre.

Prisoners John and Kevin from the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre help stock baskets full of goodies as part of the QT Adopt a Family Appeal. . Picture: Rob Williams

CHARITY is a surprisingly major part of life at Southern Queensland Correctional Centre.

They shave their heads for Shave for a Cure, grow moustaches for Movember, raise money for the annual Ipswich Hospital fun run and donate to Assistance Dogs Australia each year.

The prison also hosts an annual sustainability day and has a focus on being environmentally friendly.

During our interview when stores and sustainability manager Tara Robinson can't quite remember how much waste the prison has diverted from landfill to be reused or recycled, a nearby prisoner confirms the number is more than 13 tonnes.

Tara and acting residential manager Juanita Zuna are the two staff members leading the prison's participation in Adopt-A-Family.

This system of prisoners and staff working together is a deliberate one.

"There's got to be that staff and prisoner engagement," Juanita said. "We really push that here."

Tara and Juanita thanked the prisoners who have donated food and goods for the Adopt-A-Family campaign this year.

They are words she believes causes a domino effect among the prisoners.

"We don't do it for the thanks, we do it because we honestly want to help and we get a lot out of it," John said.