Prison officers in Queensland fear deaths in custody and more assaults on staff under a proposed bill. The bill would remove a requirement for corrective services staff to consider prisoners' human rights. Officers interviewed by the ABC say overcrowding, including possible triple bunking, would make jails more dangerous. Queensland Corrective Services supports the exemption, saying it is needed for staff and community safety. Corrective Services Minister Laura Gerber says the government will put victims' rights ahead of offenders' rights.
Convicted baby killer Keli Lane is suing the New South Wales government for $2 million. She says a prison guard sexually abused her and that prison authorities knew but did nothing. Lane made her case in person at Sydney's Supreme Court while wearing a tracking device, after being granted day release. Prison guard Wayne Astill was sentenced to 23 years in jail for abusing his position and assaulting 14 female inmates, including Lane. The civil matter returns to court next month.
A petition calling on the NSW Government to halt the closure of a maximum security wing at Goulburn jail was tabled in parliament after gathering 20,000 signatures. Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman said residents feel let down and accused the government of deceiving the town. Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the wings were no longer fit for purpose, citing limited ventilation, natural light and hygiene facilities. He said about 200 staff remain at the centre and that there would be no forced redundancies or transfers.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Parklea Correctional Centre in Sydney has returned to public hands after 17 years of private operation under two contractors. The Public Service Association called the privatisation a failed experiment. Corrective Services NSW carried out a surprise contraband raid during the changeover, uncovering a machete and drug paraphernalia. Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the government is in the latter stages of buying anti-drone technology. An Inspector of Custodial Services report found the main health centre did not provide safe or hygienic accommodation, and Corrective Services Commissioner Gary McCahon said the facilities need to be improved.
The ACT government has abandoned its plan to put electronic monitoring bracelets on domestic and family violence perpetrators. The scheme was announced in 2024 after a national summit on the issue. A government spokesperson said monitoring offenders in the community could cost more than $4 million a year, rising to $18 million for domestic violence monitoring. Corrections Minister Caitlin Tough said the cost of running such a system was not feasible for the territory at present. The Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT said it was not consulted and is unconvinced the technology can protect victim-survivors.
A union covering Queensland prison guards warns that jails may be forced to house three prisoners in cells built for one once new breach bail laws take effect. Together Queensland says an expected rise in prisoner numbers could cause sanitation problems, food shortages and more assaults and injuries. The union's survey found 93 per cent of corrections officers said their centres could not safely take more prisoners without extra staff and resources. A parliamentary committee is due to report on the legislation, with the bill targeted for November implementation.
Australia's High Court has ruled that Rachel Smith, a 36-year-old serving a 10-year prison term in Queensland, can apply to freeze her eggs while behind bars. Smith is serving time for trafficking in a dangerous drug. The court found the Queensland courts had misread the Corrective Services Act, and it ordered the prison authority to reconsider her application under the law. The judges said Smith was likely to lose fertility before her parole. The decision may open the way for other Queensland prisoners to seek egg freezing.
A woman serving a 10-year prison term in Queensland has won a High Court challenge to freeze her eggs from behind bars. Rachel Smith had applied to the state's prison authority to undergo the procedure at her own cost, but Queensland Corrective Services argued it was banned under the Corrective Services Act 2006. The High Court found the Queensland courts had misconstrued the Act and ordered the prison authority to reconsider her application according to law. The judges also ordered the authority to pay Smith's legal costs.
