Punched, scalded, attacked: Inside wild 24 hours in Qld prison
A prison officer was punched in the face by a prisoner, another had coffee tipped on them and a third was assaulted in just 24 hours at one of the state’s biggest prisons, fed up staff say.
Police & Courts
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A prison officer was punched in the face by a prisoner, another had coffee tipped on them and a third was assaulted in 24 hours at Arthur Gorrie jail, according to fed up staff.
Officers at the state’s remand centre, which has struggled with overcrowding, say they fear for their safety after the three weekend assaults.
“We feel it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed,” an officer said.
“Officers feel they have no control because management will not support our decisions.”
Together Union state assistant secretary Michael Thomas said correctional officers were doing a “thankless job” and deserved to know that everything was being done to keep them safe.
“One assault is too many, let alone three,” he said.
“Management need to come to table and agree to additional measures to ensure a safe workplace.”
The assaults come amid overcrowding in the state’s jails.
Arthur Gorrie has 1394 prisoners in 890 cells, with 1002 “built beds”, meaning many prisoners are sharing cells by either sleeping on mattresses on the floor or bunk beds.
Queensland Corrective Service statistics show serious assaults on officers were .11 and assaults .79 per 100 prisoners in 2021-22.
Prisoner-on-prisoner serious assaults were 3.02 and assaults were 8.34 per 100.
All assault numbers were below QCS aspirational targets.
A Queensland Corrective Services spokeswoman confirmed the alleged assault of the officers between Friday and Saturday. The matter has been referred to police.
“One officer sustained injuries and was assessed by medical staff,” the spokeswoman said.
“Employee assistance was offered to all staff involved.
“The matter has been referred to the Corrective Services Investigation Unit (CSIU), Queensland Police Service for investigation for consideration of criminal charges. It would not be appropriate to provide further comment.
“There are tough penalties (a maximum penalty of 14 years) for anyone convicted of seriously assaulting a corrective services officer with aggravating circumstances.
“QCS ensures support is provided for our officers through appropriate training and provision of equipment, technology and policy.”
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