Taxpayers’ bill rises to $ 57m as city’s inmate numbers swell Prisons bulge at seams

KEEPING inmates in Townsville’s correctional centres cost taxpayers more than $ 57 million last financial year with documents revealing a dramatic increase in average daily prisoner numbers.

Queensland Corrective Services’ 2017- 18 annual report revealed the average daily prisoner number in the Townsville Men’s Correctional Centre was 675, up from an average of 499 in 2013- 14.

The report showed the average daily prisoner number in the Women’s Correctional Centre was 196 in 2017- 18, up from 161 four years earlier.

The annual report, which was released by the State Government as part of a “dump” of more than 75 documents just before the October long weekend, showed the cost of containing a prisoner was $ 181.55 a day.

Both facilities are well above their built capacity and the average daily numbers for last financial year.

The built capacity for the Men’s Correctional Centre is 503, however as at October 3 there were 698 prisoners in- carcerated. The Women’s Centre’s built capacity is 154 but now has 215 prisoners.

LNP corrective services spokesman Trevor Watts said the Government’s “Black Friday dump” of annual reports showed it was ignoring overcrowding issues in Towns- ville’s correctional centres.

“No wonder Labor infamously dumped these reports in the dead of night when it shows prisoner numbers are at a four year high,” he said.

“The LNP has been raising prison overcrowding issues since 2015 and the problem is only getting worse.”

Mr Watts said in 2014 the LNP allocated $ 61 million in its budget for a 650- bed expansion across Queensland correctional facilities.

“With our prisons at breaking point, Labor should look at increasing capacity in our prisons,” he said.

“Sadly since 2015, our hardworking prison officers have been the victim of more than 848 prisoner- on- staff assaults.

“Prison guards have a hard enough job as it is without Labor throwing them into a cage fight each day.”

A QCS spokeswoman said capacity constraints in prisons was currently an issue “across Australia”.

“QCS is easing constraints in several ways,” she said.

The spokeswoman said 348 new cells would be built at the Capricornia Correctional Centre and 349 new beds would be built at Borallon Training and Correctional Centre.

She said QCS also worked with a range of partners to assist women to access bail to minimise the number women held on remand.

“Additionally, the statewide overcrowding of the women’s system has been addressed by the conversion of Southern Queensland Correctional Centre ( SQCC),” she said.

“We are committed to ensuring a seamless transfer for women prisoners into SQCC from Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre and Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre.

“We are sensitive to women’s desires to remain close to their families and homes, so transfers from ( Townsville) are still being worked through.” of