Attack sparks call for action
A CORRECTIONAL officer has been attacked by an inmate in an overcrowded Townsville prison unit.
The latest incident has prompted the Together Union to push for prison staff to be armed with tear gas and stabproof vests to help protect them and other prisoners. The Bulletin has been told a correctional officer was cowardpunched and then bashed by an inmate, who may have been under the influence, in secure unit four of the Townsville Correctional Centre last Thursday.
It’s understood it took several other correctional officers to restrain the alleged attacker following the incident.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed paramedics responded to a facility on Dwyer St in Stuart at 3.43pm last Thursday.
The 48- year- old victim was taken to Townsville Hospital in a stable condition and was discharged later in the evening.
A Queensland Corrective Services spokeswoman said secure unit four had a 50- person capacity but at the time of the incident, 53 prisoners were accommodated there.
She said the Corrective Services Investigations Unit were undertaking a full investigation into the incident and all officers involved had been offered counselling and support.
“Officer safety is our first priority,” she said.
“The incident will be reviewed to see if there are any learnings which can be adopted to increase safety. Currently we have additional staff rostered to assist staff safety.”
Together Union Townsville organiser Norm Jacobsen, who met with staff on Wednesday, said the latest assault was “very unfortunate”.
Mr Jacobsen claimed the number of assaults had been rising dramatically in Queensland prisons over the last few years, prompting the union to lobby Queensland Corrective Services to issue protective tools to staff, who were concerned for their safety.
“Police have tear gas, Tasers and guns,” he said. “We are asking correctional officers to be given the tools they need like tear gas and stab- proof vests. There is a risk in that job and they are trained to deal with that risk, however with an increase in assaults and incidents across the board, something needs to be done."