INQUIRY INTO THE CORRECTIVE SERVICES (EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND SECURITY) AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2022 - submission
Introduction
As a law student, member of the community and an individual with lived experience in this space, I have a professional and personal obligation to make the following submission.
What Is This Inquiry? The inquiry aims to modernise emergency response powers to facilitate better responses to situations that threaten the health and safety of prisoners, detainees, corrective services officers (CSOs), detention centre staff, or other people at a corrective services facility or youth detention centres such as natural disasters, criminalise the use of drones over corrective services facilities and youth detention centres, and increase penalties for inmates that unlawfully climb onto the rooftops of facilities, introduce x-ray body scanners, (CCTV) and body-worn cameras. The bill also aims to enhance information sharing powers, update the prisoner security classification framework and sentence calculation issues and enable the effective operation of the Official Visitor Scheme. My Introduction to, and experience with the Queensland Prison System I have lived experience as a young person, within various Queensland Corrections Facilities and the broader Queensland Justice system. The following briefly outlines some of my experiences within the criminal justice system specifically, facilities in Rockhampton, Townsville and Mareeba and has been provided also to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee, Inquiry into Monitoring of Places of Detention (Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture) Bill 2022. Mackay - Police Watchhouse
I was arrested and refused bail in 2016 for a string of offences which, on their own were not very serious offences but on my own admission, I was quite out of control at this time and in need of help and support. Offences related to alcohol abuse, drink driving, evade police, trespassing, resist arrest and bail offences. When I was arrested, I had attempted to hang myself in a tree behind my home, this was in a school and in doing so, I fell out of that tree breaking my right leg.
Whilst in the watchhouse I attempted to take my own life multiple times with any means possible. I attempted to stab myself in the neck with a pen when asked to sign something, sever my main artery with a plastic juice cup, cut my wrists with a plastic spoon and other quite disturbing methods. I was held in the watchhouse for a period of two weeks as the suicide attempts and also medical attention required for the leg prevented moving me to another facility.
The day I was finally transferred to Rockhampton Prison, I was due to have surgery performed on my leg as the tibia had fractured down the centre from my knee downwards and required surgical pins, placed to pull it all back together.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility - Medical Unit
When I was accepted as a prisoner into the Rockhampton based Correctional Centre, I was told by officers that I had received quite a lot of negative media attention whilst in custody and for that reason, would be treated as a ‘high profile’ and ‘protection prisoner’. Shortly after mentioning this to me, the officer handed me some razors and soap before telling me to ‘finish the job’ whilst in the shower. I immediately removed the razor blades from the razor and although contemplating suicide at this time, I took the razor blades and hid them in the splint I had been given at the Mackay Hospital, when in Police custody.
I was taken into an interview room where I was assessed in relation to my mental health, thoughts of self-harm/suicide and discussed some of the recent attempts to end my life that had taken place in the Mackay watchhouse. During this session I presented the razor blades to the Psychologists, and I was placed into an observation cell with harm prevention dress and two officers were to sit at my bedside 24/7 until I was reassessed as lower risk.
Rockhampton Hospital
I was taken to Rockhampton Hospital by Corrective Services staff, one in particular a dog squad officer sent as an escort began telling me how he would love for me to get up and run so that he could put a bullet in my back as a dog and bragged about his skills, he had been practicing. Whilst at the Hospital, I was informed that although the Mackay Hospital had suggested a surgery, given my ‘High Profile’ and ‘Protection’ status and likelihood of assault, an operation would not be a suitable option as it would require daily dressings from nurses and if I was to be assaulted whilst in prison and the wound open, I could get an infection in my leg and require amputation. As I was on remand and not sentenced, it was decided that I have my leg placed into a cast instead. As an individual identified as ‘high risk’ and ‘with ‘protection’ status, I could not get the medical treatment I required.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility - Medical Unit
Whilst being held in the medical unit on observations I was regularly verbally abused by staff members and physically assaulted on one occasion when an officer took a rolled-up towel and whacked me on my broken leg telling me how, he could not wait to get me into the unit and see how long I would last.
After two-three weeks in the medical unit of the prison, I satisfied staff that I was mentally stable and that the risk of self-harm was low, and I was escorted to a protection unit in the prison. When I left the medical unit, I was escorted by two officers, I was handcuffed which was difficult as I could not walk without the aid of crutches. There was an officer there who made a phone call to the unit manager to let them know that I was coming down and joked about how I was not expected to last very long and that he was hoping to win the bet.
I was then escorted to an office known to me as the supervisor’s office where the supervisor asked me questions and gave me a short run down of the expectations and requirements whilst I was in prison before being taken into the unit.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility – Protection Unit
I spent 4 days in a protection unit with other prisoners before I was violently assaulted in a laundry. An officer (the same officer who while sing the phone to notify the unit manager I was coming down and who had, spoke about how long I was going to last and suggested he would win a bet) asked me to see him at the officer’s station where he told me that I was required to go to the laundry to get some clothes. I went into the laundry where I was assaulted by at least three other prisoners. When they were finished assaulting me the leader of the group pulled me up off the ground and told me the guards wanted me raped however, they felt bad because I had a broken leg and was on crutches mentioning that I should consider myself lucky.
Two of the offenders were later charged in relation to this assault after an investigation by the Queensland Corrective Services Investigation Unit and one confessed and told the officers that the request for the assault had come from the prison officers in return for special privileges however, the second individual charged had provided two statutory declarations from other prisoners to say that he was not there at that time and the Police were unable to take this matter any further.
After the assault I was taken back to Hospital for x-rays and additional medical treatment. I could no longer use my crutches due to my injuries and was placed into a wheelchair.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility - Detention Unit/Solitary Confinement
It is after returning from hospital on this occasion that I was placed into the Rockhampton Detention Unit on a safety order. A safety order places a prisoner in solitary confinement for the safety of the prisoner and/or others. When I arrived in the Detention Unit, the officer running the unit on that day was the same officer that had previously hit my broken leg with the towels in the medical unit however, he on this occasion treated me with respect and did not assault me again.
Whilst in the Detention Unit in Rockhampton I had nil complaints; I was happy to be kept safe and had no further issues with staff or prisoners. What I loved most about the Rockhampton Detention Unit in particular is that the Prison Manager of the prison at the time, a female woman, would do a weekly inspection. The Prison Manager would ask us directly if we had any complaints, needed any medical treatment or any support at all. This treatment was nothing but humane and I would recommend other Prison Managers do the same as I cannot say that the Detention Units in other prisons are so well kept, safe and humane.
I was notified by the Prison Manager personally that, my placement within the centre had been assessed and that it was unlikely I could be kept safe. I was placed onto a waiting list for a prison transfer. I was transferred to Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
Whilst at Townsville Correctional Centre I was placed again, into the protection unit. I was safe here, still on remand, unsentenced. I remained in this unit for quite some time however, one day I was asked to change cells, and this was a problem because the cell that the officers wanted me to go to have a bunk bed with an extremely overweight and elderly prisoner already in this cell. It was impossible for me to climb up onto the top bunk in this cell as I still had a broken leg and used crutches.
Because I had refused the direction of staff, the Prison Manager of this jail came down into the unit with extra officers and locked every prisoner away except for me. The Prison Manager told me this was prison, and I was expected to do as I was told and if I refused any of the officers’ directions and/or disobeyed any commands I would be taken to the detention unit. I was asked if I understood, and I said ‘yes’.
Shortly afterwards I was asked again by a prison officer to change cells and again, I told the officer that I could not for medical reasons. The officer smiled and told me I would be going to the detention unit. The Prison Manager again returned with additional officers who took my crutches, forcing me to walk without them.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Detention Unit/solitary Confinement
I spent maybe two weeks in the detention unit for failing to obey the officers’ orders where I was mistreated, physically and verbally abused, was not allowed access to necessities such as toilet paper and on one day in particular I was not given any food. This treatment was ‘punishment for continuing to disobey the directions of officers whilst in the detention unit. As I had a broken leg, I was required to keep my leg in a medical brace. Each morning officers would come into my cell (routine) and ask me to remove my leg brace and I refused. The officers told me that they had spoken to the doctors and nurses, and they were told I no longer needed the leg brace. I told them that I had not yet been provided with medical advice regarding the removal of the brace and if the officers could organise a visit to the medical unit or the hospital to confirm then I would be happy to remove it. This was never organised.
One day I was taken out of the cell and into an interview room within the detention unit. I was in the room with two supervisors, one sat adjacent to me in a chair, and another stood over me to my right-hand side. I was told that if I so much as flinched or moved a muscle it would be seen as a sign of aggression and that the supervisor standing over me would assault me. I was then told that I would be removing my leg brace, or I would be spending the rest of my life in solitary confinement. I told the supervisor that I preferred the detention unit as I was safe and that until I received medical clearance, I would not remove the brace. I was threatened some more before being placed into a cell without any of my reading materials, paper, pens, diaries and toilet paper. Everything had been removed. I was told that I would get my things back when I started complying.
The following day a female officer was on duty and was handing out the daily meals to each cell one by one however when the officer got to my cell, the officer said that I did not deserve to eat and continued only to provide meals to each of the other prisoners. I did not receive any food this day because I had refused to remove my leg brace.
Eventually, I was placed back into the protection unit.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
I remained in the same unit for a few weeks until, perhaps coincidently the same officer in charge of the unit the day I refused to move cells requested that I move units. Again, I refused as I had been threatened by other prisoners who shared a prison yard with our bedroom windows. The officer smiled and told me that I was in jail and would do as I was told.
I used the prison phone to call prison intel who arranged to meet with me. I told prison intel about my situation, the ‘high profile’ and ‘protection’ status, the prison assaults, transfers, threats and basically everything that had happened up to and including that point. The intel officers recommended that I remain in the unit, and I did so, for a few more weeks until the same officer was again on shift.
I called prison intel again as they told me I would not be moved because of the risks to my safety but they did not answer, and I left a message. (I found out from the officers later that they had asked a supervisor to speak with me and return me to my original unit) this did not occur.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Medical Unit
In order to remain in the unit, I used the intercom to threaten self-harm and I was instead taken to the medical unit for observation. I was not allowed access to my crutches and as I could not walk without them, I had to crawl and hop like a kangaroo to the toilet. One day (it was a weekend) the officers were all standing around pointing and laughing at me, I felt humiliated, they were saying ‘look he’s a kangaroo’. I was allowed a phone call and used this call to phone my mother who then called the jail and asked to speak with the supervisor, this supervisor apologised and told her he did not know why I was in the medical unit or why I was forced to move units if I was on a ‘protection’ order.
The supervisor came to see me, apologised and told me he would send me back to the unit.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
I remained in this unit for some time until the same officer came into the unit again and told me that I would be moving again and smiled. I was certain that by now this officer was setting me up for some kind of assault or torture and that it was more than a coincidence that every time this particular officer was rostered on in the unit that I was to move to another unit. She smiled and asked me if I was going to slash up today or whether I was going to call intel (to save me) again?
This time I refused. The officer then took me into an interview room where she read the prison rules verbatim, a rather large document that took between 20 and 30 minutes to read. Still, I refused to move and had a panic attack. Additional officers were called in to remove me by force and all began verbally abusing me, laughing and pointing whilst one officer said, ‘I’m going to film this and send it to his wife’. I was dragged from the unit physically, still with a broken leg and my crutches removed. I was dragged until an officer began complaining the officer had hurt his back. (This officer later filed a complaint in relation to the damage to his back as a result of dragging me through the prison). I was placed into a wheelchair and taken back to the detention unit.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Detention Unit/solitary Confinement
Whilst in the detention unit on this occasion I experienced more verbal abuse and attempts of officers to have me remove my leg brace which I refused. Whilst in the detention unit I witnessed verbal and physical abuse. There was a prisoner who was kept in the yard all day and refused access to the toilet. He was begging guards for hours to let him use the toilet, but they refused, and he defecated outside in the yard. Later, officer went into his cell and forced him to put his face into his own faeces before leaving him there handcuffed without access to a shower to wash basin. This was one of the more severe ‘inhumane’ acts I witnessed.
On occasion prisoners were not fed, were denied yard access, toilet access and necessities such as toilet paper almost on a daily basis.
Prisoners were routinely mistreated in this facility.
One day we were visited by an ‘official visitor’ and told we could make complaints. The official visitor reports back to the ‘Prison Manager’, (a system that needs overhaul). I began making complaints to the official visitor who was taking notes one day, when she became distracted by the guards mistreating another prisoner. She never came back and finished listening to my complaints. The Prison Manager never once visited this detention unit in this prison.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
After returning to the unit for a short time and after, attending Court and being sentenced to six months imprisonment for the offences I was charged with, I was again asked to move, by the same officer who had attempted to have me move on each of the previous occasions and this time, broke, worn down and helpless I complied.
I was placed into a cell with an indigenous man, a violent offender who was on remand charged with the manslaughter of his child, having previously served time for rape. I was abused verbally and physically abused daily and each night by this man. It started as ‘I’m just toughening you up’ because he considered me weak. Other inmates and officers were aware but did nothing and I felt so low and vulnerable that I did not speak up. I had tried on many occasions to avoid this by threatening self-harm, calling prison intel and outright refusing to move, that I figured there was no point in trying to protect myself, I became extremely depressed.
Eventually this offender would rape me with a ‘shiv’ or ‘prison knife’ (an orange Colgate toothbrush with razor blades melted into it). That night I screamed and cried out in pain, but the other inmates just kept telling me to shut up. I was actually threatened by an inmate the next day who told me if I ever acted like that again, waking people up he would ‘fuck me up’. I remember telling him what was happening and although he looked sympathetic, he said that sounds like a me problem and I would need to stand up to this guy and because I couldn’t fight, I would have to stab him to death or at least to a point where he could do me no more harm. I am not a violent person; I was not in prison for any violent offences, and I was terrified. I did nothing.
One day, about a week or so after this incident I was asked to speak with an officer at the officer’s station who informed me I would be taken to the hospital for another x-ray. I returned to the table and when I told my cell mate, I was going to hospital he told me that I wasn’t and demanded I go back and tell the officer that I could not go. I followed his direction, and the officer told me that I had no choice, I had a broken leg, and it was time to go to hospital. My cell mate then assaulted me while the officer was watching.
The officer than pulled me out and asked what was going on and I told him nothing was going on, ‘in any event’ he said, ‘you’re going to the hospital’. Before leaving for hospital, I was required to undergo a strip search. It was during this search that officers noticed that my entire body was covered in bruises and that I had been assaulted on more than one occasion. I broke down.
I had spent weeks, trying to be ‘tough’ and not say a word. I could not hold it in anymore and I broke down. Officers then began taking photographs with one officer telling me that my cell mate was going to rape me and had been abusing me more and more incrementally each day in order to condition me into being his ‘bitch’. I have been through a lot in my life, but this was one of those moments I will never forget, the fear and absolute helplessness I felt in that moment cannot easily be explained.
I was taken to hospital and once returning, I was taken out of that unit and that cell and placed onto a safety order for the remainder of my time in custody (a week or so).
Upon leaving prison on this occasion, I contacted the Corrective Services Investigation Unit and also the Crime and Misconduct Commission. Both agencies were limited in what they could do, I found out that footage is only kept for a period of three months and otherwise destroyed, other prisoners were not likely to talk and the police told me there was no point pursuing charges against the cell mate because he was already going down on manslaughter and any sentence for the rape and torture would run concurrently meaning, he would not serve any additional time and that I would be placing myself and my family at unnecessary risk of retaliation in the future.
Mareeba/Cairns (Lotus Glen) Correctional Centre
I was later held on remand in Lotus Glen on two separate occasions for six and two months in 2017/2018 before being released for the final time.
Whilst in Lotus Glen I also spent a great deal of time in solitary confinement for various reasons. For the most part, the treatment was pretty good however there was incidents where I was assaulted by officers and mistreated all documented since. I had on this occasion begun making direct complaints in the form of ‘blue letters’ to the Prison Manager and on one occasion the Prison Manager through the head psychologist, through my personal psychologist told me that if I were to withdraw all of my formal complaints against them, that my life would go back to normal, so I did however, I was still kept in the detention unit for a considerable amount of time. I experienced more of the same treatment in this prison including for example, my belongings being taken and misplaced by officers, resulting in a reimbursement from the prison upon release.
One thing that stood out in this detention unit was how the indigenous were treated, Cairns is closer to the cape communities and has a higher rate of indigenous prisoners and I regularly witnessed the mistreatment of these indigenous prisoners, some left out In the yard without toilet access or drinking water all day, guards would become frustrated with language barriers and ignore them when they were trying to ask for access to food, toilets and other facilities. In Addition I would like to add to this submission, that whilst I was in custody in Lotus Glen, I experienced many lock downs and instances where inmates had actually climbed onto the roof and also spent a vast amount of time in the detention unit with these offenders and had the opportunity to speak with them personally. Further, there was an incident where every cell door in the unit I was in opened accidentally at about 7PM allowing every prisoner to exit their cells without any supervision or staff. Eventually staff were alerted via the cameras (I assume) and come down to the unit to lock each of the prisoners away and this was done largely without incident. I used the intercom in my cell to tell officers I had swapped cells with another inmate during the commotion and was no longer in the correct cell. Officers came back to my cell to confirm that I was in the correct cell. On this night I allege that officers came into my cell and assaulted me although staff allege that I stepped forward and was pushed by the officer in the right shoulder. I allege that the officer in fact punched me in the face and I received a black eye. This incident was witnessed by other prisoners in cells adjacent to mine. I was removed from my cell and placed into the detention unit the next morning. I have made a complaint to the Crime and Misconduct Commission in regard to this incident and regardless of what occurred in that cell that night, it is useful for the Committee to consider as it supports my submission that the use of body-worn cameras and additional surveillance devices should be installed. Emergency Response Provisions Currently the Corrective Services Act does not appropriately anticipate other types of emergencies, such as natural disasters that may cause an emergency from outside of a prison, emergencies at other types of corrective services facilities, health emergencies, or emergency situations that may eventuate for a prolonged period of time and neither does The Youth Justice Act 1992 provide a legislative framework, to respond in the event of an emergency.The Bill amends the Corrective Services Act and Youth Justice Act to support potential future emergency responses at corrective services facilities and youth detention centres. I have no objection in relation to these changes. Restricted area offence Prisoners gaining access to a rooftop and other restricted areas is a consistent issue across corrective services facilities and demonstrates that the existing penalties are insufficient at deterring prisoners from engaging in this behaviour. In addition to risking the safety of those involved, this behaviour causes a significant disruption to frontline operations, can have broader implications for the safety and security of corrective services facilities, including the need for centre-wide lockdowns as part of an incident response, and erodes community confidence in the correctional system. In all honesty, these penalties and any proposed increase to these penalties will not act as a deterrent. These individuals are already in custody and in my experience were being held in the detention unit which is considered a ‘jail within a jail’. One individual in particular managed to get away from two escorting officers whilst handcuffed on the way to the medical unit, run and jump up a 12-foot fence, climb onto the walkway and then the prison roof. Let me tell you, this is some extraordinary feat, if this individual had a more supportive childhood and family support, he could have represented Australia in high jump before being poached by the Essendon AFL club. He was tall and quite out of control. He spent quite a bit of time up there even though he was in handcuffs, and I can tell you from my own personal experience and conversations with this individual, that no matter what penalty you imposed on him, he was going to do it anyway. Some blokes just love to push the boundaries. Most individuals in prison are there because they had/have no ability to consider the consequences of their actions, crimes of passion, heat of the moment and drug or alcohol offences for example. I do not support any addition to this increase of penalty in relation to climbing onto rooftops and accessing ‘restricted areas. This increased penalty would only ensure individuals spend more time in custody and lower their chances of rehabilitation. Unlawful use of drone’s offence The incidence of inappropriate drone use in the airspace above custodial facilities continues to occur, presenting four main threats – dropping of contraband, surveillance of grounds (taking photographs as well as video imagery of secure infrastructure), weaponizing of drones or creating a nuisance or distraction. Due to these significant risks, each sighting of a drone results in the facility going into lockdown while a search for contraband, or the drone, is conducted. I have no issues with the introduction of drone related offences regarding correctional facilities. X-ray body scanners To protect the safety of CSOs, prisoners and visitors, ensure the security of the correctional environment, detect prohibited items from entering centres, and prevent corruption and other crime, it is vital that the correctional environment can adopt or trial new or emerging technologies, and that the use of existing (and new) technology within the closed environment is clearly authorised. The opportunity to use x-ray body scanners in the correctional environment provides a less invasive means of detecting and preventing the introduction of contraband into facilities. The new search type supports the implementation of recommendation 20 of the Crime and Corruption Commission’s Taskforce Flaxton – An examination of corruption risks and corruption in Queensland prisons , by granting broader powers to search staff (and visitors), whilst also supporting the Government’s response to recommendation 136 of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce Report 2 of which, I also provided a submission. I would like to add for consideration by the Committee, that whilst in custody individuals are searched and strip searched quite often with prisoners in a detention unit strip searched twice daily. These new powers could eventually replace the need for strip searching which affects the dignity and invades the privacy of inmates. I would also support the use of handheld scanners already used in other jurisdictions. In addition to this, I will add that whilst in Rockhampton and Townsville prisons I observed incidents where Officers were/had brought contraband items into these facilities. It was commonplace in both prisons. Surveillance devices The use of technology such as CCTV, body worn cameras, and audio recording devices is imperative to maintain CSO and prisoner safety. Surveillance devices enable QCS to collect, evaluate, and analyse information to identify and manage risk, respond to or investigate emergency incidents, support a breach hearing or review, prosecute an offence, and deter prisoners and visitors from attempting to breach security requirements. While some technology such as CCTV has been used within the correctional environment for some time, the use of devices such as body worn cameras is relatively new. The Bill provides a clear head of power to authorise use of a prescribed surveillance device at a corrective services facility to monitor and record activity in and around a facility. There have been many instances, highlighted within my own personal story where the use of additional CCTV cameras and/or body-worn cameras could have provided me additional protections, safety and the ability to follow up and prove allegations that I have made. I strongly believe that safety is far more important than privacy, I would have rather be safe whilst in custody as I am sure most people would agree. Detention Unit cells are already fitted with CCTV cameras and so are some cells in units where it was intended that more than one prisoner would be using these cells. What is interesting is that even though at some point during the design and construction of these facilities, it was considered that larger cells intended for more than one prisoner should have cameras installed whilst those not intended to house more than one has none. There has been no further consideration or installation of cameras, even though most cells have now been turned into two and three prisoner accommodations. Ultimately, these devices keep people safe, staff and prisoners included, and I support the implementations. Information Sharing with Queensland Health While information sharing is already occurring under section 341 of the Corrective Services Act , the Bill provides key enhancements to the legislation to guide frontline CSOs’ decision making. Enhanced information sharing provisions support Corrections frontline partnership with Queensland Health to deliver primary health care and mental health services and respond to commentary from coronial inquests about opportunities to improve information sharing, supporting better outcomes for prisoners and their families. I have nothing to add in relation to this proposed amendment and support the sharing of information between Queensland Health and Corrections. Information Sharing with Law Enforcement Again, Taskforce Flaxton recommended that an effective prison intelligence function is a fundamental part of dynamic security within the correctional environment and the review completed in 2020 found that currently, Corrections mostly shares information upon request from external agencies rather than pro-actively. I have no issues with these amendments. Information sharing with corrections agencies in other jurisdictions Amendments aim to clearly authorise the sharing of information with a corrections agency interstate or overseas to support effective supervision and management of those offenders (as authorised by law) and keep the community safe. This should have been implemented a long time ago and can help prisoners from interstate perform transfers quicker, streamlining the information sharing processes and helps corrections organise plans for returning home upon leaving prison quicker. Updating the prisoner security classification framework Queensland’s prisoner security classification framework has been in place since the introduction of the Corrective Services Act in 2006. However, the correctional environment in which it operates has been subject to significant change, system pressures and reform, including through increasing prisoner numbers. Amendments to the prisoner security classification will ensure the framework aligns with the existing physical infrastructure of the custodial environment in Queensland and appropriately responds to risk. I have no objection to updating the prisoner security classification. Other amendments Other amendments included in the Bill aim to increase community safety, streamline processes to increase efficiencies, remove redundant provisions and update out-dated terminology. I have nothing to add in relation to additional amendments. Conclusion
In conclusion, I have no issues regarding emergency response powers, implementing offences for the use of drones over correctional facilities and the use of body scanners however, I do not support any increased penalties regarding access to restricted areas and/or climbing onto the roof of a correctional facility. If there were cameras installed in the laundry, perhaps that would have prevented the violent assault that placed me into a wheelchair. Perhaps if officers were required to use body-worn cameras when entering prisoner cells, I would not have been assaulted and/or at least when an allegation is made by a member of staff or a prisoner, there is an ability to review this evidence. Safer prisons = better outcomes for prisoners and increased rehabilitation opportunities. We know (from the Royal Commission into Child Institutional Abuse) how exposure to violence, sexual, physical and verbal assaults can cause significant trauma, trauma that later fuels more violence, drug use and supports a continuation of the cycle. Anything that we can do to make prisons better, makes Queensland safer and with the recent issues regarding youth crime in particular, the Queensland Government should be doing more to address and reduce crime generally. I have no issues with updating the prisoner security classification framework, allowing for better information sharing between correctional facilities in other jurisdictions and Queensland Health, and support the streamlining of these processes. I also support the changes to the way intelligence is shared, supporting a more pro-active sharing of intelligence between corrections and law enforcement agencies.
As a law student, member of the community and an individual with lived experience in this space, I have a professional and personal obligation to make the following submission.
What Is This Inquiry? The inquiry aims to modernise emergency response powers to facilitate better responses to situations that threaten the health and safety of prisoners, detainees, corrective services officers (CSOs), detention centre staff, or other people at a corrective services facility or youth detention centres such as natural disasters, criminalise the use of drones over corrective services facilities and youth detention centres, and increase penalties for inmates that unlawfully climb onto the rooftops of facilities, introduce x-ray body scanners, (CCTV) and body-worn cameras. The bill also aims to enhance information sharing powers, update the prisoner security classification framework and sentence calculation issues and enable the effective operation of the Official Visitor Scheme. My Introduction to, and experience with the Queensland Prison System I have lived experience as a young person, within various Queensland Corrections Facilities and the broader Queensland Justice system. The following briefly outlines some of my experiences within the criminal justice system specifically, facilities in Rockhampton, Townsville and Mareeba and has been provided also to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee, Inquiry into Monitoring of Places of Detention (Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture) Bill 2022. Mackay - Police Watchhouse
I was arrested and refused bail in 2016 for a string of offences which, on their own were not very serious offences but on my own admission, I was quite out of control at this time and in need of help and support. Offences related to alcohol abuse, drink driving, evade police, trespassing, resist arrest and bail offences. When I was arrested, I had attempted to hang myself in a tree behind my home, this was in a school and in doing so, I fell out of that tree breaking my right leg.
Whilst in the watchhouse I attempted to take my own life multiple times with any means possible. I attempted to stab myself in the neck with a pen when asked to sign something, sever my main artery with a plastic juice cup, cut my wrists with a plastic spoon and other quite disturbing methods. I was held in the watchhouse for a period of two weeks as the suicide attempts and also medical attention required for the leg prevented moving me to another facility.
The day I was finally transferred to Rockhampton Prison, I was due to have surgery performed on my leg as the tibia had fractured down the centre from my knee downwards and required surgical pins, placed to pull it all back together.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility - Medical Unit
When I was accepted as a prisoner into the Rockhampton based Correctional Centre, I was told by officers that I had received quite a lot of negative media attention whilst in custody and for that reason, would be treated as a ‘high profile’ and ‘protection prisoner’. Shortly after mentioning this to me, the officer handed me some razors and soap before telling me to ‘finish the job’ whilst in the shower. I immediately removed the razor blades from the razor and although contemplating suicide at this time, I took the razor blades and hid them in the splint I had been given at the Mackay Hospital, when in Police custody.
I was taken into an interview room where I was assessed in relation to my mental health, thoughts of self-harm/suicide and discussed some of the recent attempts to end my life that had taken place in the Mackay watchhouse. During this session I presented the razor blades to the Psychologists, and I was placed into an observation cell with harm prevention dress and two officers were to sit at my bedside 24/7 until I was reassessed as lower risk.
Rockhampton Hospital
I was taken to Rockhampton Hospital by Corrective Services staff, one in particular a dog squad officer sent as an escort began telling me how he would love for me to get up and run so that he could put a bullet in my back as a dog and bragged about his skills, he had been practicing. Whilst at the Hospital, I was informed that although the Mackay Hospital had suggested a surgery, given my ‘High Profile’ and ‘Protection’ status and likelihood of assault, an operation would not be a suitable option as it would require daily dressings from nurses and if I was to be assaulted whilst in prison and the wound open, I could get an infection in my leg and require amputation. As I was on remand and not sentenced, it was decided that I have my leg placed into a cast instead. As an individual identified as ‘high risk’ and ‘with ‘protection’ status, I could not get the medical treatment I required.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility - Medical Unit
Whilst being held in the medical unit on observations I was regularly verbally abused by staff members and physically assaulted on one occasion when an officer took a rolled-up towel and whacked me on my broken leg telling me how, he could not wait to get me into the unit and see how long I would last.
After two-three weeks in the medical unit of the prison, I satisfied staff that I was mentally stable and that the risk of self-harm was low, and I was escorted to a protection unit in the prison. When I left the medical unit, I was escorted by two officers, I was handcuffed which was difficult as I could not walk without the aid of crutches. There was an officer there who made a phone call to the unit manager to let them know that I was coming down and joked about how I was not expected to last very long and that he was hoping to win the bet.
I was then escorted to an office known to me as the supervisor’s office where the supervisor asked me questions and gave me a short run down of the expectations and requirements whilst I was in prison before being taken into the unit.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility – Protection Unit
I spent 4 days in a protection unit with other prisoners before I was violently assaulted in a laundry. An officer (the same officer who while sing the phone to notify the unit manager I was coming down and who had, spoke about how long I was going to last and suggested he would win a bet) asked me to see him at the officer’s station where he told me that I was required to go to the laundry to get some clothes. I went into the laundry where I was assaulted by at least three other prisoners. When they were finished assaulting me the leader of the group pulled me up off the ground and told me the guards wanted me raped however, they felt bad because I had a broken leg and was on crutches mentioning that I should consider myself lucky.
Two of the offenders were later charged in relation to this assault after an investigation by the Queensland Corrective Services Investigation Unit and one confessed and told the officers that the request for the assault had come from the prison officers in return for special privileges however, the second individual charged had provided two statutory declarations from other prisoners to say that he was not there at that time and the Police were unable to take this matter any further.
After the assault I was taken back to Hospital for x-rays and additional medical treatment. I could no longer use my crutches due to my injuries and was placed into a wheelchair.
Rockhampton (Capricornia) Correctional Facility - Detention Unit/Solitary Confinement
It is after returning from hospital on this occasion that I was placed into the Rockhampton Detention Unit on a safety order. A safety order places a prisoner in solitary confinement for the safety of the prisoner and/or others. When I arrived in the Detention Unit, the officer running the unit on that day was the same officer that had previously hit my broken leg with the towels in the medical unit however, he on this occasion treated me with respect and did not assault me again.
Whilst in the Detention Unit in Rockhampton I had nil complaints; I was happy to be kept safe and had no further issues with staff or prisoners. What I loved most about the Rockhampton Detention Unit in particular is that the Prison Manager of the prison at the time, a female woman, would do a weekly inspection. The Prison Manager would ask us directly if we had any complaints, needed any medical treatment or any support at all. This treatment was nothing but humane and I would recommend other Prison Managers do the same as I cannot say that the Detention Units in other prisons are so well kept, safe and humane.
I was notified by the Prison Manager personally that, my placement within the centre had been assessed and that it was unlikely I could be kept safe. I was placed onto a waiting list for a prison transfer. I was transferred to Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
Whilst at Townsville Correctional Centre I was placed again, into the protection unit. I was safe here, still on remand, unsentenced. I remained in this unit for quite some time however, one day I was asked to change cells, and this was a problem because the cell that the officers wanted me to go to have a bunk bed with an extremely overweight and elderly prisoner already in this cell. It was impossible for me to climb up onto the top bunk in this cell as I still had a broken leg and used crutches.
Because I had refused the direction of staff, the Prison Manager of this jail came down into the unit with extra officers and locked every prisoner away except for me. The Prison Manager told me this was prison, and I was expected to do as I was told and if I refused any of the officers’ directions and/or disobeyed any commands I would be taken to the detention unit. I was asked if I understood, and I said ‘yes’.
Shortly afterwards I was asked again by a prison officer to change cells and again, I told the officer that I could not for medical reasons. The officer smiled and told me I would be going to the detention unit. The Prison Manager again returned with additional officers who took my crutches, forcing me to walk without them.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Detention Unit/solitary Confinement
I spent maybe two weeks in the detention unit for failing to obey the officers’ orders where I was mistreated, physically and verbally abused, was not allowed access to necessities such as toilet paper and on one day in particular I was not given any food. This treatment was ‘punishment for continuing to disobey the directions of officers whilst in the detention unit. As I had a broken leg, I was required to keep my leg in a medical brace. Each morning officers would come into my cell (routine) and ask me to remove my leg brace and I refused. The officers told me that they had spoken to the doctors and nurses, and they were told I no longer needed the leg brace. I told them that I had not yet been provided with medical advice regarding the removal of the brace and if the officers could organise a visit to the medical unit or the hospital to confirm then I would be happy to remove it. This was never organised.
One day I was taken out of the cell and into an interview room within the detention unit. I was in the room with two supervisors, one sat adjacent to me in a chair, and another stood over me to my right-hand side. I was told that if I so much as flinched or moved a muscle it would be seen as a sign of aggression and that the supervisor standing over me would assault me. I was then told that I would be removing my leg brace, or I would be spending the rest of my life in solitary confinement. I told the supervisor that I preferred the detention unit as I was safe and that until I received medical clearance, I would not remove the brace. I was threatened some more before being placed into a cell without any of my reading materials, paper, pens, diaries and toilet paper. Everything had been removed. I was told that I would get my things back when I started complying.
The following day a female officer was on duty and was handing out the daily meals to each cell one by one however when the officer got to my cell, the officer said that I did not deserve to eat and continued only to provide meals to each of the other prisoners. I did not receive any food this day because I had refused to remove my leg brace.
Eventually, I was placed back into the protection unit.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
I remained in the same unit for a few weeks until, perhaps coincidently the same officer in charge of the unit the day I refused to move cells requested that I move units. Again, I refused as I had been threatened by other prisoners who shared a prison yard with our bedroom windows. The officer smiled and told me that I was in jail and would do as I was told.
I used the prison phone to call prison intel who arranged to meet with me. I told prison intel about my situation, the ‘high profile’ and ‘protection’ status, the prison assaults, transfers, threats and basically everything that had happened up to and including that point. The intel officers recommended that I remain in the unit, and I did so, for a few more weeks until the same officer was again on shift.
I called prison intel again as they told me I would not be moved because of the risks to my safety but they did not answer, and I left a message. (I found out from the officers later that they had asked a supervisor to speak with me and return me to my original unit) this did not occur.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Medical Unit
In order to remain in the unit, I used the intercom to threaten self-harm and I was instead taken to the medical unit for observation. I was not allowed access to my crutches and as I could not walk without them, I had to crawl and hop like a kangaroo to the toilet. One day (it was a weekend) the officers were all standing around pointing and laughing at me, I felt humiliated, they were saying ‘look he’s a kangaroo’. I was allowed a phone call and used this call to phone my mother who then called the jail and asked to speak with the supervisor, this supervisor apologised and told her he did not know why I was in the medical unit or why I was forced to move units if I was on a ‘protection’ order.
The supervisor came to see me, apologised and told me he would send me back to the unit.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
I remained in this unit for some time until the same officer came into the unit again and told me that I would be moving again and smiled. I was certain that by now this officer was setting me up for some kind of assault or torture and that it was more than a coincidence that every time this particular officer was rostered on in the unit that I was to move to another unit. She smiled and asked me if I was going to slash up today or whether I was going to call intel (to save me) again?
This time I refused. The officer then took me into an interview room where she read the prison rules verbatim, a rather large document that took between 20 and 30 minutes to read. Still, I refused to move and had a panic attack. Additional officers were called in to remove me by force and all began verbally abusing me, laughing and pointing whilst one officer said, ‘I’m going to film this and send it to his wife’. I was dragged from the unit physically, still with a broken leg and my crutches removed. I was dragged until an officer began complaining the officer had hurt his back. (This officer later filed a complaint in relation to the damage to his back as a result of dragging me through the prison). I was placed into a wheelchair and taken back to the detention unit.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Detention Unit/solitary Confinement
Whilst in the detention unit on this occasion I experienced more verbal abuse and attempts of officers to have me remove my leg brace which I refused. Whilst in the detention unit I witnessed verbal and physical abuse. There was a prisoner who was kept in the yard all day and refused access to the toilet. He was begging guards for hours to let him use the toilet, but they refused, and he defecated outside in the yard. Later, officer went into his cell and forced him to put his face into his own faeces before leaving him there handcuffed without access to a shower to wash basin. This was one of the more severe ‘inhumane’ acts I witnessed.
On occasion prisoners were not fed, were denied yard access, toilet access and necessities such as toilet paper almost on a daily basis.
Prisoners were routinely mistreated in this facility.
One day we were visited by an ‘official visitor’ and told we could make complaints. The official visitor reports back to the ‘Prison Manager’, (a system that needs overhaul). I began making complaints to the official visitor who was taking notes one day, when she became distracted by the guards mistreating another prisoner. She never came back and finished listening to my complaints. The Prison Manager never once visited this detention unit in this prison.
Townsville (Stuart Creek) Correctional Centre – Harold Gregg Protection Unit
After returning to the unit for a short time and after, attending Court and being sentenced to six months imprisonment for the offences I was charged with, I was again asked to move, by the same officer who had attempted to have me move on each of the previous occasions and this time, broke, worn down and helpless I complied.
I was placed into a cell with an indigenous man, a violent offender who was on remand charged with the manslaughter of his child, having previously served time for rape. I was abused verbally and physically abused daily and each night by this man. It started as ‘I’m just toughening you up’ because he considered me weak. Other inmates and officers were aware but did nothing and I felt so low and vulnerable that I did not speak up. I had tried on many occasions to avoid this by threatening self-harm, calling prison intel and outright refusing to move, that I figured there was no point in trying to protect myself, I became extremely depressed.
Eventually this offender would rape me with a ‘shiv’ or ‘prison knife’ (an orange Colgate toothbrush with razor blades melted into it). That night I screamed and cried out in pain, but the other inmates just kept telling me to shut up. I was actually threatened by an inmate the next day who told me if I ever acted like that again, waking people up he would ‘fuck me up’. I remember telling him what was happening and although he looked sympathetic, he said that sounds like a me problem and I would need to stand up to this guy and because I couldn’t fight, I would have to stab him to death or at least to a point where he could do me no more harm. I am not a violent person; I was not in prison for any violent offences, and I was terrified. I did nothing.
One day, about a week or so after this incident I was asked to speak with an officer at the officer’s station who informed me I would be taken to the hospital for another x-ray. I returned to the table and when I told my cell mate, I was going to hospital he told me that I wasn’t and demanded I go back and tell the officer that I could not go. I followed his direction, and the officer told me that I had no choice, I had a broken leg, and it was time to go to hospital. My cell mate then assaulted me while the officer was watching.
The officer than pulled me out and asked what was going on and I told him nothing was going on, ‘in any event’ he said, ‘you’re going to the hospital’. Before leaving for hospital, I was required to undergo a strip search. It was during this search that officers noticed that my entire body was covered in bruises and that I had been assaulted on more than one occasion. I broke down.
I had spent weeks, trying to be ‘tough’ and not say a word. I could not hold it in anymore and I broke down. Officers then began taking photographs with one officer telling me that my cell mate was going to rape me and had been abusing me more and more incrementally each day in order to condition me into being his ‘bitch’. I have been through a lot in my life, but this was one of those moments I will never forget, the fear and absolute helplessness I felt in that moment cannot easily be explained.
I was taken to hospital and once returning, I was taken out of that unit and that cell and placed onto a safety order for the remainder of my time in custody (a week or so).
Upon leaving prison on this occasion, I contacted the Corrective Services Investigation Unit and also the Crime and Misconduct Commission. Both agencies were limited in what they could do, I found out that footage is only kept for a period of three months and otherwise destroyed, other prisoners were not likely to talk and the police told me there was no point pursuing charges against the cell mate because he was already going down on manslaughter and any sentence for the rape and torture would run concurrently meaning, he would not serve any additional time and that I would be placing myself and my family at unnecessary risk of retaliation in the future.
Mareeba/Cairns (Lotus Glen) Correctional Centre
I was later held on remand in Lotus Glen on two separate occasions for six and two months in 2017/2018 before being released for the final time.
Whilst in Lotus Glen I also spent a great deal of time in solitary confinement for various reasons. For the most part, the treatment was pretty good however there was incidents where I was assaulted by officers and mistreated all documented since. I had on this occasion begun making direct complaints in the form of ‘blue letters’ to the Prison Manager and on one occasion the Prison Manager through the head psychologist, through my personal psychologist told me that if I were to withdraw all of my formal complaints against them, that my life would go back to normal, so I did however, I was still kept in the detention unit for a considerable amount of time. I experienced more of the same treatment in this prison including for example, my belongings being taken and misplaced by officers, resulting in a reimbursement from the prison upon release.
One thing that stood out in this detention unit was how the indigenous were treated, Cairns is closer to the cape communities and has a higher rate of indigenous prisoners and I regularly witnessed the mistreatment of these indigenous prisoners, some left out In the yard without toilet access or drinking water all day, guards would become frustrated with language barriers and ignore them when they were trying to ask for access to food, toilets and other facilities. In Addition I would like to add to this submission, that whilst I was in custody in Lotus Glen, I experienced many lock downs and instances where inmates had actually climbed onto the roof and also spent a vast amount of time in the detention unit with these offenders and had the opportunity to speak with them personally. Further, there was an incident where every cell door in the unit I was in opened accidentally at about 7PM allowing every prisoner to exit their cells without any supervision or staff. Eventually staff were alerted via the cameras (I assume) and come down to the unit to lock each of the prisoners away and this was done largely without incident. I used the intercom in my cell to tell officers I had swapped cells with another inmate during the commotion and was no longer in the correct cell. Officers came back to my cell to confirm that I was in the correct cell. On this night I allege that officers came into my cell and assaulted me although staff allege that I stepped forward and was pushed by the officer in the right shoulder. I allege that the officer in fact punched me in the face and I received a black eye. This incident was witnessed by other prisoners in cells adjacent to mine. I was removed from my cell and placed into the detention unit the next morning. I have made a complaint to the Crime and Misconduct Commission in regard to this incident and regardless of what occurred in that cell that night, it is useful for the Committee to consider as it supports my submission that the use of body-worn cameras and additional surveillance devices should be installed. Emergency Response Provisions Currently the Corrective Services Act does not appropriately anticipate other types of emergencies, such as natural disasters that may cause an emergency from outside of a prison, emergencies at other types of corrective services facilities, health emergencies, or emergency situations that may eventuate for a prolonged period of time and neither does The Youth Justice Act 1992 provide a legislative framework, to respond in the event of an emergency.The Bill amends the Corrective Services Act and Youth Justice Act to support potential future emergency responses at corrective services facilities and youth detention centres. I have no objection in relation to these changes. Restricted area offence Prisoners gaining access to a rooftop and other restricted areas is a consistent issue across corrective services facilities and demonstrates that the existing penalties are insufficient at deterring prisoners from engaging in this behaviour. In addition to risking the safety of those involved, this behaviour causes a significant disruption to frontline operations, can have broader implications for the safety and security of corrective services facilities, including the need for centre-wide lockdowns as part of an incident response, and erodes community confidence in the correctional system. In all honesty, these penalties and any proposed increase to these penalties will not act as a deterrent. These individuals are already in custody and in my experience were being held in the detention unit which is considered a ‘jail within a jail’. One individual in particular managed to get away from two escorting officers whilst handcuffed on the way to the medical unit, run and jump up a 12-foot fence, climb onto the walkway and then the prison roof. Let me tell you, this is some extraordinary feat, if this individual had a more supportive childhood and family support, he could have represented Australia in high jump before being poached by the Essendon AFL club. He was tall and quite out of control. He spent quite a bit of time up there even though he was in handcuffs, and I can tell you from my own personal experience and conversations with this individual, that no matter what penalty you imposed on him, he was going to do it anyway. Some blokes just love to push the boundaries. Most individuals in prison are there because they had/have no ability to consider the consequences of their actions, crimes of passion, heat of the moment and drug or alcohol offences for example. I do not support any addition to this increase of penalty in relation to climbing onto rooftops and accessing ‘restricted areas. This increased penalty would only ensure individuals spend more time in custody and lower their chances of rehabilitation. Unlawful use of drone’s offence The incidence of inappropriate drone use in the airspace above custodial facilities continues to occur, presenting four main threats – dropping of contraband, surveillance of grounds (taking photographs as well as video imagery of secure infrastructure), weaponizing of drones or creating a nuisance or distraction. Due to these significant risks, each sighting of a drone results in the facility going into lockdown while a search for contraband, or the drone, is conducted. I have no issues with the introduction of drone related offences regarding correctional facilities. X-ray body scanners To protect the safety of CSOs, prisoners and visitors, ensure the security of the correctional environment, detect prohibited items from entering centres, and prevent corruption and other crime, it is vital that the correctional environment can adopt or trial new or emerging technologies, and that the use of existing (and new) technology within the closed environment is clearly authorised. The opportunity to use x-ray body scanners in the correctional environment provides a less invasive means of detecting and preventing the introduction of contraband into facilities. The new search type supports the implementation of recommendation 20 of the Crime and Corruption Commission’s Taskforce Flaxton – An examination of corruption risks and corruption in Queensland prisons , by granting broader powers to search staff (and visitors), whilst also supporting the Government’s response to recommendation 136 of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce Report 2 of which, I also provided a submission. I would like to add for consideration by the Committee, that whilst in custody individuals are searched and strip searched quite often with prisoners in a detention unit strip searched twice daily. These new powers could eventually replace the need for strip searching which affects the dignity and invades the privacy of inmates. I would also support the use of handheld scanners already used in other jurisdictions. In addition to this, I will add that whilst in Rockhampton and Townsville prisons I observed incidents where Officers were/had brought contraband items into these facilities. It was commonplace in both prisons. Surveillance devices The use of technology such as CCTV, body worn cameras, and audio recording devices is imperative to maintain CSO and prisoner safety. Surveillance devices enable QCS to collect, evaluate, and analyse information to identify and manage risk, respond to or investigate emergency incidents, support a breach hearing or review, prosecute an offence, and deter prisoners and visitors from attempting to breach security requirements. While some technology such as CCTV has been used within the correctional environment for some time, the use of devices such as body worn cameras is relatively new. The Bill provides a clear head of power to authorise use of a prescribed surveillance device at a corrective services facility to monitor and record activity in and around a facility. There have been many instances, highlighted within my own personal story where the use of additional CCTV cameras and/or body-worn cameras could have provided me additional protections, safety and the ability to follow up and prove allegations that I have made. I strongly believe that safety is far more important than privacy, I would have rather be safe whilst in custody as I am sure most people would agree. Detention Unit cells are already fitted with CCTV cameras and so are some cells in units where it was intended that more than one prisoner would be using these cells. What is interesting is that even though at some point during the design and construction of these facilities, it was considered that larger cells intended for more than one prisoner should have cameras installed whilst those not intended to house more than one has none. There has been no further consideration or installation of cameras, even though most cells have now been turned into two and three prisoner accommodations. Ultimately, these devices keep people safe, staff and prisoners included, and I support the implementations. Information Sharing with Queensland Health While information sharing is already occurring under section 341 of the Corrective Services Act , the Bill provides key enhancements to the legislation to guide frontline CSOs’ decision making. Enhanced information sharing provisions support Corrections frontline partnership with Queensland Health to deliver primary health care and mental health services and respond to commentary from coronial inquests about opportunities to improve information sharing, supporting better outcomes for prisoners and their families. I have nothing to add in relation to this proposed amendment and support the sharing of information between Queensland Health and Corrections. Information Sharing with Law Enforcement Again, Taskforce Flaxton recommended that an effective prison intelligence function is a fundamental part of dynamic security within the correctional environment and the review completed in 2020 found that currently, Corrections mostly shares information upon request from external agencies rather than pro-actively. I have no issues with these amendments. Information sharing with corrections agencies in other jurisdictions Amendments aim to clearly authorise the sharing of information with a corrections agency interstate or overseas to support effective supervision and management of those offenders (as authorised by law) and keep the community safe. This should have been implemented a long time ago and can help prisoners from interstate perform transfers quicker, streamlining the information sharing processes and helps corrections organise plans for returning home upon leaving prison quicker. Updating the prisoner security classification framework Queensland’s prisoner security classification framework has been in place since the introduction of the Corrective Services Act in 2006. However, the correctional environment in which it operates has been subject to significant change, system pressures and reform, including through increasing prisoner numbers. Amendments to the prisoner security classification will ensure the framework aligns with the existing physical infrastructure of the custodial environment in Queensland and appropriately responds to risk. I have no objection to updating the prisoner security classification. Other amendments Other amendments included in the Bill aim to increase community safety, streamline processes to increase efficiencies, remove redundant provisions and update out-dated terminology. I have nothing to add in relation to additional amendments. Conclusion
In conclusion, I have no issues regarding emergency response powers, implementing offences for the use of drones over correctional facilities and the use of body scanners however, I do not support any increased penalties regarding access to restricted areas and/or climbing onto the roof of a correctional facility. If there were cameras installed in the laundry, perhaps that would have prevented the violent assault that placed me into a wheelchair. Perhaps if officers were required to use body-worn cameras when entering prisoner cells, I would not have been assaulted and/or at least when an allegation is made by a member of staff or a prisoner, there is an ability to review this evidence. Safer prisons = better outcomes for prisoners and increased rehabilitation opportunities. We know (from the Royal Commission into Child Institutional Abuse) how exposure to violence, sexual, physical and verbal assaults can cause significant trauma, trauma that later fuels more violence, drug use and supports a continuation of the cycle. Anything that we can do to make prisons better, makes Queensland safer and with the recent issues regarding youth crime in particular, the Queensland Government should be doing more to address and reduce crime generally. I have no issues with updating the prisoner security classification framework, allowing for better information sharing between correctional facilities in other jurisdictions and Queensland Health, and support the streamlining of these processes. I also support the changes to the way intelligence is shared, supporting a more pro-active sharing of intelligence between corrections and law enforcement agencies.
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