Prison staff turn on boss Lack of confidence in assistant GM

TENSIONS are rising between staff and upper management at Townsville’s adult correctional facilities, with 93 employees refusing to show confidence in a senior leader.

Union members from Townsville Correctional Centre and Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre on Wednesday unanimously refused to support assistant general manager Kristine Winter, essentially passing a no- confidence motion.

The vote was sparked over staff shortages in recent months which union representatives believe have led to unsafe work practices following the severe injury of an employee at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.

According to documents addressed to Townsville Correctional Complex general manager John Francis- Jones, members at TWCC have been missing out on meal breaks and only two officers have been available when multiple “code blues” were called.

In one instance the two officers were trapped inside a residential unit as a door shut behind them with no staff available to let them out, according to the documents.

Together Union North Queensland organiser Norm Jacobsen said staff were frustrated after repeated calls for more resources.

“This is about management’s continuation of allowing the centres to run shortstaffed and allowing for unsafe work practices to take place outside policy and procedures,” he said.

“It’s become a real issue and we’re hearing word that some staff are resigning. These are not people who are frightened, so far as they know the risk that comes with their job, but they want to ensure that risk is being managed properly.”

Mr Jacobsen said staffing for TWCC had been worked out purely on prisoner numbers and had not taken full consideration of staff needs.

“It has become an absolute joke,” he said.

“We want Brisbane management to intervene and do an assessment on staffing and how management is operating the correctional centres.”

Mr Francis- Jones said he was working on a response.

“I acknowledge the motions submitted within your email, also noting a requested 12 hour response,” he said in a letter.

“I do not see a need to respond outside the normal time frames and as such will respond in due course.”

A Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said the safety of staff and prisoners was the number one priority.

“QCS has a strict process of matching resources to risk – if prisoner numbers go up, so do staff numbers,” the spokesman said. “Townsville CC’s protocols are constantly reviewed by an independent inspectorate. The centre is adequately resourced.”