COVID-19: Criminals getting ‘discounts’ on jail time to stop spread of coronavirus into prisons

Convicted criminals are getting “discounts” on their jail time and proceedings are being delayed - and it’s all because of coronavirus.

CONVICTED criminals are getting “discounts” on their jail time and proceedings are being delayed in an effort to keep coronavirus away from the state’s prisons.

One prison has gone into lockdown after a guard tested positive to COVID-19.

A barrister this week described jails as “cruise ships without the cruise” when it came to spreading infections, while another lawyer called them “Petri dishes”.

During every almost every sentence heard in Southport District Court this week lawyers discussed the delicate balancing between protecting society and the now dangerous conditions in prisons.

“Going to jail should not be a death sentence,” Potts Lawyers director Bill Potts told the Bulletin.

“People are in prison to be removed from society, they are not there to die.”

Mr Potts said prisons were “Petri dishes” when it comes to viruses and infections.

Prisons are an ideal place for the virus to spread with many of the state’s prisons operating at overcapacity and inability to social distance.

Due to the pandemic, courts are only dealing with sentences were the defendant is already in prison or the defendant is not at risk of going to prison.

During one hearing in the Southport District Court this week Judge Julie Dick, who is visiting from Brisbane, said circumstances were “extraordinary”.

“We are getting a lot of pressure to get people out of the overcrowded jails,” she said.

“If it gets into the jail system it’s just going to be diabolic because people who have finished their sentence have to be released back into the community.

“So decisions are being made which are completely out of kilter.”

During another proceeding this week, defence barrister David Funch, who appeared via video link as he was feeling unwell, said the relevance to sentencing of COVID-19 should not be underestimated.

He said prisoners were already not able to go to work duties, do leisure time or receive visitors in an effort to prevent spread of any infection.

“It is difficult to create social distancing without further depriving people of their liberty,” he said.

“It’s perhaps like a cruise ship without the cruise.”

Mr Funch said anxiety and tension had been magnified making the prison a more dangerous place.

Judge David Kent asked Andrew Monks, who was being sentenced for robbery, if he was able to social distance while in Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Brisbane.

“In all honesty it’s quite difficult just down to the fact of mustering … we have 30 to 50-plus people you have to stand next to twice a day,” Monks said.

“As far as the unit, there is no escaping, we are right next to each other.

“We are all pretty on edge here.”

Monks said he was in his own cell but had been warned that they would have to double up in the coming days, making social distancing even more difficult.

He said the man in his neighbouring cell was taken to hospital about a week ago and had not returned, with prisoners given no explanation to where he had gone.

Queensland Corrective Services commissioner Peter Martin yesterday signed a declaration putting all correctional centres into stage three restrictions, which includes no visitors.Wolston Correctional Centre, where a guard tested positive to the virus was put into stage four restrictions which allows prisoner isolation.Mr Martin also ordered all staff undergo a health check and temperature check as they entered the prison day.