Inspector releases Capricornia Correctional Centre inspection report

The Capricornia Correctional Centre inspection report prepared by the Inspector of Detention Services, was tabled by the Honourable Pat Weir MP, Speaker of the Queensland Parliament on X 2026.

Under the Inspector of Detention Services Act 2022 (IDS Act), the Queensland Ombudsman, Mr Anthony Reilly, is also the Inspector of Detention Services (Inspector).

The Capricornia Correctional Centre is in Etna Creek, near Rockhampton. The centre receives male prisoners from watch-houses and provides longer-term placement for sentenced prisoners.

The Inspector, Mr Reilly, said while the overall picture at the Capricornia Correctional Centre (the centre) is positive, we have made recommendations for areas that require improvement. These include the impacts of overcrowding.

“Staff told us that overcrowding and ‘double ups’ are some of the biggest challenges facing the centre,” Mr Reilly said.

“Before the addition of bunk beds, the centre was operating over built bed capacity at 121%, resulting in some prisoners being required to sleep on a mattress on the floor.

“Overcrowding occurs when the number of prisoners exceeds the prison’s design capacity. The design capacity refers not only to the number of cells within the centre, but also to the infrastructure that provides services such as health services, visits, programs and employment availability, recreation, food catering, waste management, shower and toilet facilities, and administration.

“We were told by medical staff that there was a current shortage of nursing and psychological staff to service the growing prisoner population, contributing to extensive waitlists.

“While we have concerns about the statewide application of modified unit routines that essentially reduce out-of-cell time to 4 hours per day.”

The inspection found positive practices at the centre, highlighting its commitment to aid prisoners in their reintegration by providing safe, healthy and supportive opportunities.

“Connection to mob and culture is supported through a virtual Elders visits initiative where prisoners from remote communities can receive cultural support from Elders from their Country,” Mr Reilly said.

“The centre manages 3 work camps … [that] provide the men with opportunities to undertake work that supports local communities and builds their skills for reintegration.”

In FY2023-24, the work camps serviced 90 projects at Springsure, Clermont and Blackall, with a total of 25,671 hours of unpaid community services completed by prisoners, which is valued at $794,774 to the community.

The report made 25 recommendations for areas that require improvement. These include:

• developing strategies to reduce the time a prisoner is held within the reception store, improve the use of cell-sharing risk assessments, and increase the out-of-cell time for all prisoners
• increase the availability of programs to cater for the size of the prison population
• increase medical prescribers
• update the CCTV cameras to allow the cultural centre and gym toilet to be used
• improve access to Sorry Business
• improving recordkeeping for all centre operations.

“Further support for cultural connectivity is impacted by the unavailability of the cultural centre, and delays in prisoners accessing funeral services or being given approval to conduct Sorry Business in kinship groups.”

Read the full report.