Brutal attack on the female prison officer

A convicted sex offender will front court over the brutal bashing of a 67-year-old Brisbane female prison officer which left her with a facial fracture.

The officer was repeatedly punched and knocked to the ground as she fought back the inmate who she had caught smoking in the kitchen at Brisbane's Wolston Correctional Centre on October 12.

The attack was stopped when two other inmates came to the officer's rescue. She was hospitalised for a short time before being released and is yet to return to work. A male officer was also hurt but not seriously injured. The inmate, who has convictions for burglary and unlawful carnal knowledge, was transferred to the maximum security unit at Brisbane Correctional Centre the day after the attack.

The bashing came two days after another officer was assaulted at the jail. The officer was assaulted when he challenged a prisoner for smoking in an accommodation unit. He was taken to hospital and required stitches to his lip and required dental work to fix several teeth loosened in the attack.

The incidents sparked industrial unrest and anger among prison officers at the Wolston jail with staff claiming the attack could have been avoided had management followed procedure when the same inmate who attacked the female officer assaulted a male supervisor on August 21.

They said that incident was sparked by the inmate's over losing his appeal against a disciplinary breach for a urine test that tested positive for drugs. As the male officer wrestled the inmate to control him, he tore muscles and ligaments in his shoulders. The officer will be off work for nine months and requires surgery for his injuries. Prison sources said the officer is launching civil action against Corrective Services over the attack.

Prison officers told 7News the inmate was released from the detention unit and reintegrated without a mandatory Inmate Management Plan (IMP) which left his aggressive behavior unchecked. The officers said they repeatedly asked management to take action with the inmate.

Staff at the jail said assaults are on the rise from overcrowding which also meant inmates who attacked staff are no longer able to be moved to higher security areas such as detention units and maximum security units.

"The overcrowding is causing tension within the jails. We have had at least 15 assaults on staff at the jail in the last three months which range from spitting, having urine thrown over us and physical violence. We also don't' feel we are supported by management. We have another inmate in our detention unit here who has assaulted at least six officers,'' an officer told 7News.

"There are no deterrents for prisoners who assault staff,'' he said.

A series of meetings were held by staff from Wolston and Brisbane Womens Correctional Centre over the attacks.

They voted unanimously on several motions including not responding to situations or directions where there was "insufficient measures in place to ensure our safety".

"Wolston staff voiced their concern regarding the apparent lack of support from centre management in managing the perpetrator of the assault. These assaults are becoming more regular and severe in occurrence with little consequence to the perpetrator,'' according a memo from staff to management, obtained by 7News.

The officers also called for prisoners who repeatedly attack staff to lose their protection status and be returned to the mainstream population or a maximum security unit.

Staff also supported a motion that prison management had breached their duty of care by failing to provide a safe work environment and called for the removal of weight training equipment and punching bags from the jail's gym.

"We have had two violent murders where inmates used gym weights to kill other inmates, it is ludicrous that we are literally handing them weapons,'' an officer at the jail said.

The day after the attack on the female officer, angry staff refused to unlock prisoners' cells. Queensland Corrective Services took the matter before the Industrial Relations Commission which recommended that officers refrain from taking further action.

"Whilst the assault of a fellow colleague can be distressing for all involved, it is clear that steps were being taken by Wolston just prior to the period when the industrial action was taken…" Commissioner Knight said in his recommendation on October 16.

"It is clear from the comments of the COs (correctional officers) representatives however, that the officers hold genuine concerns about the well-being of a number of their colleagues given the recent incidents,'' Commissioner Knight said.

Union officials said anecdotally they were beginning to see an increase of assaults on Queensland corrections officers.

A Together Union spokesman said the Newman government's cutbacks on jail rehabilitation programs, an increase in the time inmates spent in cells and overcrowding were all contributing to rising assaults behind bars.

"There has been a huge surge in incarceration with this government and the jail's are scrambling to catch up. These jails are designed for one prisoner per cell and with overcrowding around the state, we have two prisoners in a cell with many sleeping on the floor on mattresses. We are heading for a crisis and action needs to be taken,'' the spokesman said.

"Evidence around Australia shows overcrowding leads to increase in assaults of prisoner on prisoner and prisoner on staff,'' he said.

The spokesman said Wolston jail management appeared to have failed in their duty of care and their responsibility in providing a safe workplace by not adequately managing the inmate who assaulted the officer over in August.

The spokesman said recent cutbacks on workers compensation for officers meant they only receive around 85 percent of their pay while off work,making staff reluctant to get involved in physically restraining prisoners.

"We have issues where our officers have an inherently dangerous workplace and these cutbacks are a deterrent for them to get involved or put themselves at risk. It means a pay cut of around 15 percent,'' he said.

A Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said there was a "zero tolerance" approach to assaults on staff.

"Our staff are managing difficult, and sometimes dangerous prisoners every day. They are highly trained and work to procedures developed to minimise risk of assault. Prisons are designed to help staff with the management of challenging prisoners,'' he said.

Assaults on staff were immediately referred to police and the perpetrators were immediately segregated, the spokesman said in a statement to 7News.

"The assaults in question were spontaneous and not indicative of the general behaviour of prisoners at Wolston Correctional Centre,'' he said.

The QCS declined to comment on why they inmate who attacked the female officer and male supervisor was not placed on an management plan.

QCS denied overcrowding in the state jail's were preventing the transfer of prisoners who pose a risk to staff.

Police have charged the prisoner with assault for the attack in August and serious assault for bashing the female officer. He will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on December 4.