Queensland inmate numbers reach more than 10,000, costing $1bn

Queensland’s main political parties are in a “race to the bottom to see who could be the toughest on crime and jail the most people”, says a high-profile lawyer.

Queensland prisoner numbers have reached more than 10,000, soaring 1000 in just a year with convicted criminals increasingly sharing cells.

New figures show there are 10,266 prisoners in Queensland, living out of 7546 cells, with many inmates “doubling up” in rooms by either sleeping on bunk beds or mattresses on the floor.

With the average net operating cost for a prisoner at $240.81 in 2021-22, taxpayers are spending almost $1bn alone keeping crims housed in jails.

A prison cell at Borallon Correctional Centre in Brisbane. Picture: Jono Searle/AAP

The alarming figure comes despite a parole backlog being alleviated, an issue that had been linked to an increasing prison population.

Queensland Corrective Service figures show the state’s remand centre Arthur Gorrie jail has 1375 prisoners, 1002 “built beds” and 890 cells.

Borallon jail has 808 prisoners, 736 beds and 492 cells, while Brisbane Correctional Centre has 892 prisoners, 977 beds with 560 cells.

Woodford jail is at about 150 per cent capacity, while Wolston is at 144 per cent, however both have surplus bunk beds, according to the QCS figures from late last month.

A new mega jail is being built at Gatton, but it is not expected to open until the first half of next year, with a spokeswoman saying the jail would have 1536 beds.

Together union branch assistant state secretary Michael Thomas said the jail opening would be “in the nick of time”.

A corrections officer at Borallon Correctional Centre in Brisbane. Picture: Jono Searle/AAP

“The recent surge in prisoner numbers has meant we are on a trajectory that, without SQCC, will result in a return to prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors in jails across the state,” he said.

“Even then, it will be touch and go.

“The levels of overcrowding we have seen over the last decade have become the new normal and it’s not safe.

“It’s not safe for officers, it’s not safe for prisoners and, ultimately, it’s not safe for the community as there simply can’t the focus on rehabilitation that is needed.

“And as long as the community keeps being told that the easy answer is to crime is locking people up, not dealing with the underlying problems, that’s going to continue.”

In 2010-11, the daily prisoner average was 5527, but has since increased about 85 per cent, despite a much slower Queensland population growth over the same period.

Criminal lawyer Bill Potts. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The imprisonment rate in Queensland in 2011 was 161.1 for every 100,000 people, but was 248 in 2021.

It was about 234 for every 100,000 in the December quarter last year, compared to 195 in NSW, 128 in Victoria, 215 in South Australia, 286 in Western Australia and 1043 in the Northern Territory.

High-profile lawyer Bill Potts said both major political parties were in a “race to the bottom to see who could be the toughest on crime and jail the most people”.
He said the money spent on jails and prisoners would be better spent on rehabilitation, which was severely lacking.

A high-security cell block at the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre at Gatton.

“The difficulty is what we have is both sides of parliament seeking to assuage the public and the public have the view that somehow the solution is jailing because they don’t see the full picture of the problem,” Mr Potts said.

“Part of the explanation (for the prisoner increase) would include the increase in population; it also includes perhaps the increase in some areas of crime, and to some degree the attitude of the courts, which is driven by public opinion.

“However, ultimately, this is a failed and failing problem, not because certain people should not be taken out of society, but the fact we are trying to ‘jail our way of trouble’ rather than dealing with the causes of crime, being often mental health, drug addiction, poverty and violence.”