Prison reform takes years: department

THE cultural issues at the Townsville prison will likely take many years to address and won’t be solved in months despite “significant reform” at the centre, the Queensland Corrective Services has said.

The centre has been plagued by a series of issues this year including an investigation into an alleged sex scandal, staff protesting amid safety concerns, allegations of overcrowding and attacks on both staff and inmates.

In July, the department conceded the jail had “historical cultural issues” that management were working to address.

A damning letter sent to Townsville MP Scott Stewart that was later forwarded to the Crime and Corruption Commission accused the prison of having a “toxic and vile workplace culture that every manager at (the prison) has to take responsibility for”.

Almost three months on, the department said the centre was undergoing “significant reform” driven by general manager Peter Hall, who was committed to “officer safety and the rehabilitation of offenders”.

“The reform is being supported centrally with senior management playing an active role in supporting the centre, with both the Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner Custodial Operations recently spending time at Townsville talking to staff,” a Queensland Corrective Services spokeswoman said.

“Cultural change in any large organisation can take many years. It is not something that occurs in three months.”

A QCS spokeswoman confirmed all centres in Queensland were undergoing a “review of all aspects of their operating models” to ensure that best practice was being implemented across the organisation.

Burdekin MP Dale Last, who has previously said the centre had a clear “division” between senior management and the workers, reiterated his calls for an independent review of the centre.

“Cultural change does take time but it is imperative that the Townsville Correctional Centre is a safe workplace for Corrections staff, that it appropriately supervises and rehabilitates inmates, and that it ensures the safety of the wider community,” he said.

“I stand by my call for an open and transparent review because we need to ensure the issues are identified and addressed once and for all.

“The Corrections staff deserve the opportunity to have their say and raise their concerns without fear or favour and I am concerned that, unless that process is in place, we will not see the long term outcomes we need with regards to fixing the issues.”