The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has publicly released its report and recommendations arising from the Taskforce Flaxton inquiry into corruption risks and corruption in Queensland prisons.
The Palaszczuk Government commends the CCC for working closely with government, industry, unions and other important stakeholders throughout the inquiry, which began in March this year.
Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said the timing of the Taskforce Flaxton inquiry was significant.
"It came at a time when Queensland Corrective Services entered a new era as a standalone department with a new Commissioner at the helm," Mr Ryan said.
"Commissioner Peter Martin was the former head of the Police Ethical Standards Command and he, like me, holds the firm view that there is no place for unethical behaviour in Queensland’s prison system.
"The Commissioner has already taken significant steps to bolster the ethical standards framework and we both know there is more work to be done across Queensland’s prisons system.
"I am confident that Queensland Corrective Services is well-placed to respond to any issues raised by the CCC in its report.
"We have made significant investments to expand the capacity of our correctional facilities since we came to government in 2015.
"This includes recommissioning the Borallon Training and Correctional Centre and boosting capacity there by more than 700 beds, and the expansion of the Capricornia Correctional Centre with almost 400 extra beds.
"Those expansions allowed another important decision to be made. The Southern Queensland Correctional Centre was transformed into a women’s prison, which was its original purpose, in a move that ended overcrowding at the Brisbane women’s prison.
"Today, I can announce that the Palaszczuk Government has allocated $15 million over two years for 1,000 extra beds. That means, by 2020, we will have delivered almost 3,000 extra beds for prisoners," Mr Ryan said.
Queensland Health has also accepted or supported all of the recommendations of the offender health services review and started work on key priority areas.
An Office for Prisoner Health and Wellbeing will be established to implement the recommendations from the review, and ensure the necessary reforms are rolled out across the system.
"We will work closely with other government agencies and our stakeholders so that together we can achieve the best outcomes, and above all else, keep communities safe," Mr Ryan said.
"Importantly, this inquiry has been able to shine a light on what works, what doesn’t and what can work better.
"We will give this report and its recommendations serious consideration with a view to providing a detailed response in the coming months," he said.
