Jail probe into ‘toxic’ workplace
AN INDEPENDENT internal review into Townsville’s scandal-plagued jail to allow staff to air their grievances will start on Monday, the Bulletin can reveal.
The review, announced by Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Martin nearly two weeks ago, will be headed by external consultants in a bid to bring about change in what prison officers have described as a “toxic” workplace.
It comes after months of reports in this paper about a bitter blame game between prison management and staff and follows a damning workplace survey last year that 70 per cent of prison staff did not agree that the jail was well managed.
AN independent internal review into Townsville’s scandalplagued jail to allow staff to air their grievances will start on Monday, the Bulletin can reveal.
The review, announced by Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Martin nearly two weeks ago, will be run by external consultants in a bid to bring about change in what prison officers have described as a “toxic” workplace.
In a damning workplace survey completed late last year, 70 per cent of Townsville prison staff disagreed that the jail was well managed and more than two-thirds did not believe their managers were operating with a high level of integrity
And although it was announced on the same day that Townsville Correctional Centre general manager Peter Hall was suspended over accusations of inappropriate conduct, Mr Martin said he had ordered the review prior.
It came after months of reports in this paper about a bitter blame game between prison management and staff.
A QCS spokeswoman confirmed the independent review would start with a range of briefings at headquarters in Brisbane, before the investigator commences work in Townsville the following week.
The separate investigation into Mr Hall’s alleged misconduct remains ongoing.
Mr Hall, who had been in the job for just over two years, was stood down on full pay over allegations of “inappropriate misuse of his position and departmental resources” on January 20.