Former Capricornia Correctional Centre employee Pat Misztal speaks out as Queensland Corrective Services internal prison review begins

Whistleblower: Former Capricornia Correctional Centre employee makes explosive claims about bullying and isolation at prison north of Rockhampton.

“It is an extremely toxic workplace, it’s a dog eat dog workplace and nobody supports each other.”

These were the damning words a former Capricornia Correctional Centre employee Pat Misztal used to sum up the past four years of her career at the jail north of Rockhampton.

These explosive comments have come about in the wake of revelations Queensland Corrective Services has ordered an independent internal review into the workforce culture at Capricornia Correctional Centre following concerns of workplace practice, behaviour and engagement.

For Mrs Misztal, it wasn’t always a toxic workplace, for the first 20 years it was a job she loved – but things began to change and she found herself being ignored, bullied and isolated.

The behaviour towards Mrs Misztal began when she was asked to take on some new duties that weren’t previously in the job description and she questioned the reasoning.

Mrs Misztal alleged she was not offered training opportunities or promotions – when she had been previously for the past 20 years.

Mrs Misztal claimed to be controlled in everything she did – even down to her lunch break.

“I would mix with other staff in the centre, and I was chastised over that because I was to eat my lunch with my unit,” Mrs Misztal said.

“That was a form of isolation itself, that I was not to mix outside of my unit, not even in my lunch break.

“Which is my lunch break to take with whoever I choose.”

Having worked at the prison for decades, her relationships with other correctional staffmembers had been built on years of trust.

“I have never ever, ever once felt threatened by a prisoner,” Mrs Misztal said.

“I had arguments with them, but we would resolve them, I wouldn’t let arguments go with prisoners.

“I relied heavily on that bond with custodial that I would always be safe.”

The prison became a “very unrestful” place to be, in Mrs Misztal’s opinion.

Officers were directed to ignore drug related incidents, breaches were dismissed and protocols were not adhered to, Mrs Misztal claimed.

“Prisoners were getting away with breach, which makes for an unsafe jail because there is no punishment,” Mrs Misztal said.

Given the environment, working in a jail is a very emotionally taxing role.

“You are hearing and seeing things out there that you will never see in the world….We would have to read those files and ask the prisoners the hard questions, about sex offences and everything else,” Mrs Misztal said.

“You would go home crying some days.

“But there was nowhere to go with that so you had that bond with your colleagues… that was gone.”

Over time the bullying and isolation got worse and Mrs Misztal lodged complaints but nothing was ever done.

“I lodged grievances over these staff members, their behaviour, isolation, bullying and they were all found to be unsubstantiated,” Mrs Misztal said.

“They were just little things and over a long period of time, they became big things.

“There was a form of bullying they found to be acceptable…they believed it was okay.

“Even though I attended a meeting and I took a support person who wrote a statement of what was stated in this meeting, it was deemed that it wasn’t said… I had eight people within that office write about incidents that occurred, and it was all deemed unsubstantiated.

“No matter what evidence you present, it is dismissed or unsubstantiated.”

What was the most frustrating was that all of Mrs Misztal’s complaints were internally handled – which meant the complaints went to the department that was causing the issue.

“Queensland Government as a whole needs to look at how things are done, when people have complaints they should never be heard by the same corporation that is instigating or are directing it,” she said.

“Head office would have been extremely aware of everything that goes on.

“It is all Queensland Corrective Services…. there is nowhere to go outside of your employers.

“They need an independent body that aren’t affiliated in any shape or form with QCS because nothing will ever change.”

Mrs Misztal was offered mediation by QCS and a contract between both parties was written, however when she advised QCS of breaches, Mrs Misztal claims they were ignored.

Not being heard was what Mrs Misztal struggled with the most.

“I started to doubt myself, am I over exaggerating this, am I not seeing what is really happening,” Mrs Misztal said.

“My head was full of constant chatter… I was exhausted all the time, I was so tired because my head was just going around and around.”

The experience, which occurred over many years, led Mrs Misztal to develop anxiety.

“Over that four-year period, I took sick leave, I accessed my super, I had two psych reports done, I was medicated, I did nine months of therapy…. I fell over backwards to be nice to new staff, as they were warned not to associate with me, and prove I was an okay person,” Mrs Misztal said.

“I couldn’t leave home, if I went out to a shopping centre to meet friends, I would up and leave halfway through, I just needed to go home.”

Her newfound anxiety from the workforce culture led to her having panic attacks about going to work.

It affected her not just at work but in her everyday life.

“One day I couldn’t reverse my car out of the driveway, I thought I would crash the car… I had to put chocks behind the wheels… I had lived there for 13 years,” Mrs Misztal said.

“It impacts you not just in the workplace, it impacted me outside.

“You become not trustworthy of people.

“I thought 25 years, how did I end up here.

“I never really knew how I get here… I questioned something…I had a really good relationship with all of the officers, got along with everyone.”

After four years of complaints, meetings and appointments, it all came to a head when Mrs Misztal realised it was never going to change.

“When I finally went to the doctors and took leave, I just slept and slept, I didn’t leave home, I hibernated for quite a long time,” she said.

“It was rolling over into my personal life.

“In the end I blew it all at 58 and financially it has impacted on my husband and I hugely.”

Years on, the trauma from the experience still affects her today.

“I don’t think I could work in a big workforce; I think that would all come back,” she said.

“I still take my medication because each time I try to give it up I relapse.

“If I don’t take my medication it is 20,000 times worse, whilst I am taking it, it keeps it at bay.”

Queensland Corrective Services was contacted for comment and stated it “will not be responding to historical allegations from former employees”.

“We have committed to an independent external review of workplace culture to allow officers to raise their concerns and have their say in a confidential environment so that issues can be identified and addressed in a systematic manner,” their statement read.

“Former employees have a range of channels to report allegations, including to Queensland Corrective Services Professional Standards and Governance, or externally to the Crime and Corruption Commission, the Ombudsman and the Public Service Commission or police for allegations of criminal behaviour.”