Works for Queensland Survey results reveal issues between management and staff at Qld prisons

An internal, anonymous workforce survey has revealed how Qld prison staff feel about their jobs. And it might surprise you who is creating some of their biggest worries.

Prisoners at Townsville Correctional Centre. Picture: Evan morgan

An internal, anonymous workforce survey has revealed how Queensland prison staff feel about their jobs, with results revealing alarming sentiment across relationships with management.

The Working for Queensland survey was completed by Queensland Corrective Services staff in 2023.

The results for Townsville Correctional Centre – men and women’s prisons, Lotus Glen and Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre have been obtained by the Townsville Bulletin.

QCS says it is working to address issues highlighted in the reports.

The number of participants across the four surveys varied, with 24 per cent of the workforce completing it at the Townsville Correctional Complex, 24 per cent at Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre, 55 per cent at the Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre and 29 per cent at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.

The results compared sentiment at the prisons to a similar survey in 2022 and showed there were still significant issues at Townsville Correctional Centre when it came to staff and their relationship with management.

A corrections officer walks through a prison. (AAP Image/Jono Searle)

Staff were asked about their relationship with their management in relation to work group performance, respectful relationships and honesty and integrity.

For all three categories, results came back worse than in 2022. Under ‘my manager and respectful relationship’ 28 per of respondents answered negatively. At Lotus Glen, 25 per cent of respondents also answered negatively.

Staff escort prisoners through Lotus Glen Correctional Centre. Picture: Daniel Soekov for Human Rights Watch

At the Townsville women’s prison, the result in the same category was 33 per cent, while at Brisbane women’s it was 20 per cent.

At both Townsville women's and men’s centres, a high proportion of staff said they did not feel they could discuss their wellbeing with management. At the men’s prison, it was 51 per cent responding negatively, while at the women’s prison it was 48 per cent. Both of these results were lower than in 2022.

At Lotus Glen, the same metric was at 43 per cent in the negative, while Brisbane women’s was 35 per cent. Both were still lower than in 2022.

Instances of workplace bullying had also increased at Townsville Correctional Complex from 9 per cent of those polled in 2022, to 18 per cent in 2023.

However, there was a downward trend in workplace aggression and violence, with 28 per cent of those who took the survey saying they had experienced it, while it was 53 per cent in 2022.

Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre at Wolston. Picture AAP/David Clark

Racism was recorded by fewer people in 2023 than in 2022.

More than half those surveyed also indicated they planned to stay in their current position for the next three years.

At the Townsville women’s complex, 57 per cent of people answers no to experiencing workplace bullying and 73 per cent to sexual harassment.

Workplace violence and aggression was also lower, with 77 per cent of those polled saying they had not experienced it.

At Brisbane women’s workplace violence and aggression was recorded by 27 per cent of respondents – which was almost double that of the 2022 survey.

A woman at Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre. Picture: Zak Simmonds

More people also felt they were being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation between 2022 (8 per cent) and 2023 (12 per cent).

At Lotus Glen, there were small increases in workplace bullying from 10 per cent in 2022 to 16 per cent in 2023.

There was a 2 per cent increase in sexual harassment, but 90 per cent of people in 2023 said they were not experiencing it.

Lotus Glen also had a high portion of staff who wanted to stay in their positions for the next three years (67 per cent), which was a small rise on staff in 2022 (65 per cent).

A Queensland Corrective Services spokeswoman said the organisation was committed to improving and they had developed an action plan with staff as part of “continual improvement”.

“The Working for Queensland Survey is one tool to help gauge satisfaction,” she said.

“TCC has shown improvement in a number of important measures from previous years, including satisfaction in leadership, fair and equitable treatment, bullying and harassment, and workplace violence.

“While results show improvement, it is not an area where we can ever rest.

“Bullying and harassment training is mandatory for all QCS employees, including those in leadership positions and timely, open and regular, constructive communication is important.

“Mental health and wellbeing training and other resources are available to all Townsville Correctional Complex staff.”

Originally published as Works for Queensland Survey results reveal issues between management and staff at Qld prisons