Prison officers walk out over bikies, staff assaults

Prison officers walked off the job at a Queensland jail after a series of assaults and complaints that just one unit is now home to more than 15 bikies – with one club in particular dominating.

Prison officers walked off the job after repeated assaults and concerns over Comanchero bikie gang members dominating a unit of Woodford jail.

Officers concerned about the bikies in jail units were calling them “clubhouses”, with more than 15 Comanchero gang members in just one unit.

One of the units dominated with Comanchero bikies – N12 – has had the likes of convicted killer Nelson Patea inside.

Nelson Patea

Patea was convicted of the manslaughter of Gold Coast man Greg Dufty.

He was released on parole over the killing but had his parole cancelled last year.

He is also the brother of convicted murderer Lionel Patea who killed his ex-partner Tara Brown in a horrific domestic attack on the Gold Coast in 2015.

Lionel Patea murdered Tara Brown on the Gold Coast.

The jail also has Bandidos, Mongols, Rebels and Finks members.

The stop-work meeting was also called over staff assaults which they have said are happening about once every seven days.

“There are units with 15 to 20 bikies in them,” a prisoner officer said.

“They are calling them clubhouses.”

Officers said the main concern was the Comanchero bikie gang.

“A prisoner was assaulted by multiple bikies,” an officer said.

“Officers are concerned that they will gang up on them next with the gang mentality.

“Prisoners who are not bikies have been asking for units to be locked down because they’re even scared.

Comanchero bikies have taken over unit blocks in the prison.

A 50/50 unlock would mean half the unit was allowed out of their cells at a time, limiting the number of people on the floor for prison officers to have to manage.

Together Union assistant branch secretary Michael Thomas said there was on average an assault every week on staff members.

“Our members like anyone else in the community deserve a safe workplace,” he said.

“They deserve to go to work and know that they’re going to come home safely and not in the back of an ambulance.

“We have a situation now because of the overcrowding across corrections and the types of prisoners - including a significant number of incarcerated bikie gang members in Woodford - we are seeing on an average an assault a week

“To date management’s response is to list all the things they are doing now that clearly aren’t working and resulting in a number of assaults.

“Our members are calling on corrections to put additional controls in place including moving to 50-50 unlock of units to try to restore some control in the centre and reduce the number of assaults.”

Woodford correctional centre inmates in a high security yard. Photo by Chris McCormack.

Prison officers eventually went back to work on Tuesday after reaching an agreement with corrective services.

Mr Thomas said QCS had agreed to implement 50-50 lockdowns and allow discussions to take place about a more targeted regime for implementing lockdowns where there has been unreasonable behaviour from prisoners or safety issues.

Opposition Corrective Services spokesman Dale Last said the fact prisoners had walked off the job was an illustration of the failings of the government and corrective services minister.

“Our prisons are dangerously overcrowded due to this Labor government’s failure to plan,” he said.

“The danger posed to staff in our prisons has escalated over recent years and incidents like this make their job even more dangerous.”

“I support the call by the union for 50-50 unlock of units until this situation is brought under control. We also need to get to the bottom of why intelligence information gathered by Corrections staff is not being acted on.”

“There are obviously problems with the intake system when you have members of the same bikie gang not only ending up in the same facility, but in the same unit. Frankly, it is up to the Minister to step in and ensure that the prisoners who need to be relocated are transferred to other facilities and to ensure that the intake system works correctly.”

Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said Queensland Corrective Services had taken swift action to put a management plan in place.

“I understand officers support these new measures,” he said.

“These bikies belong in jail and I make no apology for that.

“The government has already delivered more than 3,000 additional beds across the state and more are on the way.

“In fact, this government is currently building a new 1,000 bed facility at Gatton.

“The LNP made no moves to boost prison capacity.

“The LNP’s only plan was to put bikies in pink jumpsuits and put all of them at Woodford.”