JAIL HOUSE SHOCK

Bursting prisons ‘forcing’ long stays in appalling watchhouse

DETAINEES in Southport’s watchhouse temporary holding cells are spending up to two weeks inside with conditions so bad they can’t wait to go to overcrowded prisons.

A Gold Coast defence lawyer has blasted the situation, highlighting stays of up to a fortnight with no change of clothes, no toothbrushes and windowless cells.

The warning comes amid revelations Arthur Gorrie jail is bursting with inmates and a Productivity Commission warning to tackle soaring Queensland prison rates.

A DRAFT report by the Queensland Productivity Commission has proposed significant reforms to Queensland’s criminal justice system to address a soaring prison population and rate of reoffending.

From 2012 to 2018, the number of people in Queensland’s prisons rose by 58 per cent, according to a statement released last week.

The QPC said it found behavioural, policy and system changes were driving increasing imprisonment.

It said rates of crime, which had fallen steadily during the past 20 years, were not responsible for the crowding.

Principal Commissioner Kim Wood said keeping prisoners behind bars was a massive cost to taxpayers and outweighed the benefits to the community.

“On average, it costs $107,000 to keep an adult in prison for a year,” Mr Wood said.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad asked the QPC to undertake an inquiry into imprisonment and recidivism to recommend policy changes in September 2018.

All interested parties have been invited to make a submissions to the QPC about draft recommendations before the April 17 deadline.