Now open for public consultation – draft Queensland watch-house inspection standards

Draft Inspection standards for Queensland watch-houses now open for consultation

Under s 8(d) of the Inspector of Detention Services Act 2022 (the IDS Act) the Queensland Ombudsman, Mr Anthony Reilly, is also the Inspector of Detention Services and is required to prepare and publish standards in relation to conducting inspections.

Section 3 of the Inspector of Detention Services Regulation 2023 prescribes 5-yearly inspections of the Brisbane City and Southport watch-houses.

The IDS Act outlines that any watch-house may be inspected. The goal of the Act is promoting the humane treatment of detainees and the prevention of harm through reviews, inspections and independent reporting.

To support our upcoming inspections of watch-houses the Inspector has prepared a DRAFT for Consultation - Inspection standards for Queensland watch-houses and a Guide to assessing the inspection standards for Queensland watch-houses. The guide is intended to provide practical support to inspection teams when assessing the standards.

We invite you to provide feedback on these draft standards. Email your feedback to: IDSfeedback@ombudsman.qld.gov.au by Friday 29 May 2026 at 5pm.

After this closing date, submissions will be reviewed and the Inspection standards for Queensland watch-houses and Guide to assessing the Inspection standards for Queensland watch-houses will be published on this website.