Louder call for jail at Mt Isa

MOUNT Isa has been flagged as a site for a new prison to help combat overcrowding.

Norm Jacobsen, the Townsville organiser of the Together Union representing prison guards, renewed the call to build a new facility after the Bulletin revealed bunks were being installed in existing prisons to accommodate offenders.

He said there was “no denying” a new facility was needed.

Traeger MP Robbie Katter said Mount Isa would be an “obvious place” for a new correctional facility in the North if the proposal went ahead.

“I think it would have to be the frontrunner … there’s evidence to demonstrate that people are better being closer to country than being away from a lot of those support mechanisms and services in their local community,” he said.

Mr Katter said rehabilitation would be improved if there was a more local facility.

“We’re better off having ( offenders) close to those support networks that have tried to keep them out of ( prison) in the first place, instead of coming straight from Stuart on a bus and being dumped at Mount Isa, that’s been a bad recipe,” he said.

Mr Katter said dealing with issues that led to criminal behaviour remained his priority.

“There is a lot of work to be done in the meantime on stopping people going to prison and getting those real fundamental issues dealt with, such as getting people into work,” he said.

Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said Queensland Corrective Services had made no recommendation for a new centre in Mount Isa.

“The Palaszczuk Government is already providing funding for additional correctional capacity in Queensland,” he said. “This includes the allocated $ 200 million to increase the built capacity of the Capricornia Correctional Centre with 100 additional secure cells to complement the 164 additional residential cells previously announced.”

Opposition Corrective Services spokesman Trevor Watts said the Government had failed to deal with overcrowding.

“It’s clear permanent solutions are years away and interim measures may lead to safety issues for staff and a revolving door prison system,” he said.

Mr Watts said the LNP had allocated more than $ 60 million to create an additional 650 prison beds but the Government scrapped the idea.

“Our hard- working prison officers don’t deserve to go to work and be treated like punching bags because our prisons have turned into fight clubs,” he said.