Inspections and reports

Cairns and Murgon watch‑houses inspection report: Focus on detention of children

Tabled in parliament, 11 September 2024.

The report makes 19 recommendations for improvement to address the concerns we identified during inspections of Cairns and Murgon watch-houses. Concerns included admission processes, lack of privacy, assessment of risk and harm and issues relating to children being detained in watch-houses for a long time.

Report

Cairns and Murgon watch‑houses inspection report: Focus on detention of children (PDF 8.1MB)

Snapshot

Snapshot - Cairns and Murgon watch‑houses 2024 inspection report  (PDF 558.9KB)

Media release

Inspector’s report on Cairns and Murgon watch-houses released (PDF 151.1KB)

Easy read

Cairns and Murgon watch-houses: Focus on children - 2024 inspection (PDF 1.8MB)

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre inspection report: Focus on separation due to staff shortages

Tabled in parliament, 27 August 2024.

The report makes 15 recommendations for improvement at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre on issues including staffing levels, approval processes for separations and the provision of basic facilities in separation rooms and holding cells.

This is the first Inspector’s report released under the IDS Act.

The Inspector’s report finds staff shortages have been experienced for many years at the centre and, as a result, the centre regularly locks children in their rooms alone. This practice is known as ‘separation’.

Report

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre inspection report: Focus on separation due to staff shortages (PDF 5.9MB)

Snapshot

Snapshot - Cleveland Youth Detention Centre 2024 inspection report (PDF 455.9KB)

Media release

Report on Townsville’s Cleveland Youth Detention Centre released (PDF 148.5KB)

Easy read 

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre 2024 inspection (PDF 1.4MB)

Current inspections

Inspections which have been announced and are in progress.

Prisons

• Southern Queensland Correctional Centre
• Palen Creek Correctional Centre
• Brisbane Correctional Centre

Youth detention centres

• Cleveland Youth Detention Centre   
• West Moreton Youth Detention Centre
• Brisbane Youth Detention Centre
         

Inspection process

The process to undertake an inspection includes:

• planning 
• information gathering 
• engaging with detainees
• conducting onsite visit to the place of detention
• analysing information and forming conclusions.

The inspection report is then prepared and provided to the Speaker for tabling in Parliament. The Inspector’s report on every inspection will be public once the report is tabled in Parliament.

Based on the experience of independent inspectors in other jurisdictions, the full inspection process can take at least 12 months from planning through to provision of the report.

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Inspector’s News provides updates from the Inspector of Detention Services. It covers news about our inspections, reports and recommendations. Subscribe to receive these updates.