Three to a one-man cell: Dire state of watch-house overcrowding

One of the state’s watch houses has men “doubled up” and is hugely overcrowded, prompting the Queensland Police Union to call for senior management to be removed.

One of the state’s watch houses has men “doubled up” and is hugely overcrowded, prompting the Queensland Police Union to call for senior management to be removed from their position before someone dies.

The Courier-Mail has been told Mt Isa watch-house was on Thursday at 156 per cent capacity, which included 25 adult men with a capacity of 14 beds.

Sixteen of the prisoners were for Queensland Corrective Services waiting to be moved, according to police.

With Christmas and new year approaching, Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the situation was disgraceful and urged for the situation to be fixed before someone dies.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers at Cairns watch-house

The situation follows revelations detailed in The Courier-Mail in October where the union said there was a “death waiting to happen” after Townsville was at 178 per cent capacity, Mount Isa was 219 per cent and Cairns 125 per cent.

At one stage mattresses were considered to alleviate the issue.

Mattresses placed in cells

After the union raised serious concerns in October, the government flew prisoners around the state, in what was dubbed “Con Air”, to fix the problem.

Mr Leavers, in a piece written in the Queensland Police Union journal released today, said he feared the expense of relocating prisoners was continuing to stop senior managers from moving people in custody around the state.

He said watch houses were still reaching 120 to 130 per cent regularly and has described the situation as a “national disgrace”.

“In what sort of world is it acceptable to allow watch houses to exceed 100 per cent capacity?” Mr Leavers wrote.

“Senior QPS managers need to be replaced and moved on for this disgraceful attitude allowing watch houses in the Far North to hit a capacity of 219 per cent and their only solution is to bring in more mattresses rather than redistribute the prisoners to other facilities or demand corrections take responsibility for their custody prisoners.

“The QPU brought to the attention of the Police Commissioner and Commissioner of Corrections as a matter of urgency to get directly involved and start making changes before a life is lost.

“There is no way either of the Commissioners would face a Coroner if there was a death in custody instead it would be a constable, duty sergeant or watch house keeper hung out to dry.”

A single-person cell which has held three people at times

The Mt Isa watch-house exercise yard

Mr Leavers said many of the people in custody across Townsville, Mt Isa and Cairns were First Nations and “often arrive at watch houses in poor health, needing medications or assistance with substance abuse”.

“Without proper services and support our people are being set up to fail,” he wrote.

“It was our diligent representative and concerned members, that raised this as an issue not senior management.

“I haven’t forgotten about the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Death in Custody (1987-1991). It found that ‘… there appeared to be little appreciation of and less dedication to the duty of care owed by custodial authorities and their officers to persons in custody. We found many system defects in relation to care, many failures to exercise proper care and in general a poor standard of care. In some cases the defects and failures were casually related to the deaths, in some cases they were not and in others it was open to debate … in many cases death was contributed to by system failures or absence of due care’.”

Mr Leavers said he feared a death in custody could happen if changes aren’t made.

“I’m told while the ELT (Executive Leadership Team of police) responded initially, at the time of writing this article Mt Isa Watch house is again at 198% and I fear the expense of transfers and relocations is now a focus for these senior managers but air travel is part of being in a decentralised state,” he said.

“I care significantly for our First Nations people and I want them offered the best support possible while they are in our care and I want our members protected and never put in a situation where overcrowding results in a death in custody.”
A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the government’s aerial assets had been prioritised to Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the floods in Far North Queensland but had been moved back to regular duties on December 20.

“Mount Isa watch-house is currently over capacity, and Queensland Police Service is working closely with Queensland Corrective Services to manage the transport of prisoners as a matter of priority,” the spokesman said.

“To ensure prisoner safety while in QPS custody, regular physical cell checks are conducted, nursing staff attend the watch-house each day to provide medical support and additional staff are rostered into the watch-house, when required.”

The spokesman said police were working with Queensland Corrective Services as a “matter of urgency to implement strategies and solutions to support the short-term pressures and identify long-term solutions”.