Wacol pedophile precinct: Investigations continue into breach
Authorities are investigating how a woman who visited violent pedophile Douglas Jackway in Brisbane’s prison precinct gained access.
Police & Courts
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Authorities are investigating if a woman who visited violent pedophile Douglas Jackway at the Wacol sex offender precinct in Brisbane’s west was hidden in by a car driven by another offender.
Jackway and the other man are now back in custody but had been living in houses under strict Dangerous Prisoner (Sexual Offenders) Act supervision orders in the precinct when the woman went there at the end of January.
The Courier-Mail revealed the alleged breach came after two reviews had been ordered by Queensland Corrective Services following revelations another sex offender at the precinct last year had allegedly committed offences against a girl aged about 15.
Patrols, lighting and CCTV had already been increased when the woman was able to get into the precinct and new fencing will be installed as a priority after the latest incident.
The Courier-Mail understands authorities are investigating if the woman came in a car driven by the other sex offender.
Officers say CCTV cameras need to be installed underneath houses as there are black spots where some of the cars drive to avoid CCTV.
When asked about the issue, Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner Paul Stewart said anywhere on the precinct where people were able to be hidden and out of view would be a concern.
“And we will do everything to make sure we have the coverage within and continue to monitor and again introduce any form of technology that we can into the future to defeat any activity on the precinct,” he said.
Mr Stewart said he was unable to comment specifically on the Jackway cases and did not directly answer if he was aware people were coming in via cars.
“We have our intelligence and our information in relation to what is occurring and we are implementing to make sure that we address those risks with all the infrastructure work and the patrols and the surveillance and the things that we are doing.”
Mr Stewart said an external agency did a review of the precinct in December and recommendations were still being implemented.
He said additional fencing was yet to be installed which would increase security.
“We cleared the vegetation around the fencing, we repaired the fencing and we placed additional CCTV coverage within the precinct,” Mr Stewart said.
“We have more to do and we are in the final stages now of completing some work and procuring fencing around the precinct, a higher level of fencing in order to keep people from coming on to the precinct and to provide a higher level of security within the precinct.”
Mr Stewart said QCS and police patrols and surveillance had increased in the precinct.
He said offenders subject to the Act were “very complex and challenging individuals”.
“And they’re very well versed in avoiding and seeking to avoid detection,” he said.
“Our people out at the Wacol precinct do an excellent job.”
When asked if QCS would consider searching offenders when they came back to the precinct in vehicles Mr Stewart said QCS would consider “every point of access and every action and activity that happens within the precinct in order to minimise the risk within the bounds that we have in relation to our abilities.”
There are currently 56 offenders living in the housing, which is close to the highest number recorded in Queensland.
Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan, speaking on Wednesday, said a full investigation would be undertaken into the alleged incident involving Jackway.
“Last year we identified the opportunity to make some initial and immediate improvements to the Wacol contingency housing precincts … those have been complicated,” he said.
“But there are some more significant upgrades (which will) take a little bit longer to do, that are underway.”
Mr Ryan said the improvements already made included increased patrols, lighting and CCTV at the site.
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