Qld jail capacity at breaking point even before LNP’s crime blitz

Despite a new jail opening in South East Queensland within months, the LNP’s get-tough approach to crime will deepen the state’s prison crisis.

Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre west of Brisbane

• ‘Rack and stack ‘em’: What you said

A new mega jail would need to be built for every prisoner in Queensland to have a cell to themselves as inmate numbers continue to soar, new figures show.

Queensland Corrective Service figures show there were 10,854 prisoners in jails across the state in October, living out of 7602 cells.

Many have been forced to “double up” with other prisoners in small cells, with the majority having to sleep in a bunk bed setup while sharing a toilet, shower and television.

Some inmates – such as those in remand centre Arthur Gorrie jail – have to sleep on mattresses on the floor.

A new jail at Gatton will open within months, eventually holding up to 1536 prisoners, but inmates around the state will continue to share cells.

The issue is set to become a challenge for the incoming LNP government, having campaigned on tough law-and-order measures.

The prison population also increased significantly under the former Campbell Newman-led LNP government.

High-profile solicitor Bill Potts said he expected prisons to continue filling under the new government, which would ultimately mean even more jails being required.

“The government is running a warehouse for violence and bad behaviour without addressing the core criminogenic reasons for it,” he said.

“It comes at an enormous cost to a public who I suspect does not know the true amount that its tax dollars are being spent on.

“We cannot jail ourselves out of trouble, but a child prisoner currently costs us approximately $800 per day and an adult prisoner approximately $250 a day – imagine what that would buy if we actually spent the money on housing, education, on alleviating poverty and giving people hope through work.

“Simply employing a social worker for each individual would be a cheaper option.

Criminal lawyer Bill Potts

“Unfortunately the Queensland government is going the way of populist governments around the world by proposing slogans and solutions without any evidence that they will be successful.”

The average net operating cost per prisoner was $251 in 2022-23, meaning taxpayers are spending almost $1b a year to keep them housed in jails.

“They are going to have to spend more money on more prisons and there is just simply no end to a policy like that,” Mr Potts said.

“It’s only when they rediscover for themselves as they eventually will that it’s not working, that in fact it’s making the problem worse because child prisoners become adult prisoners; that dysfunction grows rather than diminishes and that jail is not a solution of itself but as rather a symptom of a society under stress.

With the huge amount of prisoners sharing cells, Queensland had the highest serious assault rate out of any state in the 2022-23, with 3.41 per 100 prisoners, which was significantly higher than 1.36 in Victoria and 0.42 in New South Wales.

Queensland ranked third in assaults, with 10.94 per 100 prisoners, compared to 20.93 in New South Wales and 17.76 in Tasmania. Victoria recorded 10.41 per 100.

Bond University professor Terry Goldsworthy was critical of the former government for failing to plan ahead with solutions to house prisoners safely.

“The lack of infrastructure to adequately house the increasing number of prisoners is another example of the failure of the previous government to strategically plan resources in line with policies they put in place,” he said.

“If you are going to legislate tougher bail laws, new offences and increased penalties then there needs to be a commensurate increase at the other end of the system to house an increase in prisoners.

“The ability to house them in line with best practice and international and legal obligations should also have been foremost in the policy planning around this issue.”

Premier David Crisafulli with Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber on Sunday. Picture: Richard Walker