PRISON OVERCROWDING PUTS GUARDS AT RISK SAYS BYRNE.

Media Release.

Overcrowding in Queensland’s prisons, caused by the Newman Government’s failure to plan ahead makes it inevitable it will have to build a new jail says Shadow Correctional Services Minister Bill Byrne.

“The prison population has risen steadily over the last 18 months and is now a real cause for concern,” said Mr Byrne who is worried for the safety of staff asked to keep order amid increased tension and unrest in jails.

“The latest figures quoted by Prison Legal Service show there is worrying overcrowding in most of the state’s prisons and fears are being expressed for the mental health of prisoners who are forced to share cells designed for single inmates."

“The Attorney General has created this overcrowding without planning for the consequences or considering the safety of the guards. The costs are mounting daily to keep these prisoners in jail and money is being diverted from fire and ambulance services budgets to pay the cost.”

Mr Byrne said the figures from the Prison Legal Service showed the Newman Government was losing control.

“The statistics broadcast today confirm the scale of the crisis. The Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre has 30% overcrowding with 224 inmates doubling up. There’s serious overcrowding too in Gatton, Townsville, Wolston, Rockhampton and in the Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre at Wacol .”

Lawyer Matilda Alexander of the Prison Legal Service told the ABC that the state’s normal prison population of 5,500 had blown-out to 6,100 since July 2012. She said the additional cost of the increased number of prisoners was $159,000 a day – a total of $58 million a year.

“This is a crisis of the government’s making and if it persists with mandatory sentencing and keeping people in jail who don’t need to be there then it will have to build a new jail at massive cost that will be run by the private sector in line with the recommendations of the Keelty Review,” said Mr Byrne.

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*Matilda Alexander told Steve Austin on the ABC that 224 prisoners were sharing cells at Arthur Gorrie, 140 are sharing at the women’s jail, 100 in Townsville and 80 at Wolston.

She said 72% of prisoners were serving sentences of 12 months or less for minor offences.