Brisbane Youth Detention Centre Understaffed

Youth detention centre staff have contacted the Australian Prison Officers Association concerned about the current level of staff vacancies, particularly on night-shifts.

There have been reports of young offenders breaking out of their cells during night shifts and wandering freely throughout the centre.

It must be said that these are unconfirmed reports, however, there does appear to be some cause for concern in relation to the significant reduction in staffing numbers in the sharp increase in young offender populations at both the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre and the Brisbane City watchhouse where some young offenders can be held for several weeks, if not months.

These claims come amid the Queensland government's recent decision to take back control of the two privatised prisons in Queensland.

Although adult prisons are managed by a different department to those detention centres which  accommodate young offenders, it remains true that they are kindred industries and the personnel required to run these industries are of a similar skill set and demographic within society.

It has become harder in recent years to recruit reliable personnel to the role of Prison Officer and we now know that it is equally difficult to recruit reliable personnel to the role of Youth Detention Centre Officer.

Staff at the Youth Detention Centre are calling for a review into the operation of the detention centre and likewise, they are calling for a review of the administration practices which see some shifts staffed with only 50% of the rostered staff and many services set aside for the want of staff.

The shortages mean that young offenders are denied services whilst they are accommodated at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre and staff are put under extraordinary undue pressure to operate in a less than world's best practice environments and scenarios.

Any staff requiring assistance should call their local human resources manager or staff, alternatively, you may call (07) 3807 3807 or gethelp@prisonofficers.org.au