Officer assaulted at Woodford Correctional Centre

Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) can confirm that a custodial correctional officer will undergo testing as a result of an interaction with a prisoner yesterday at Woodford Correctional Centre.

Officers were restraining an uncompliant prisoner yesterday afternoon when the prisoner spat in an officer’s face.

The officer is seeking medical attention and will undergo testing.

The prisoner was escorted to the Detention Unit.

Management and senior officers are continuing to support the officer and their colleagues.

Prisoners who assault officers may face additional criminal charges and further prison time. They are also subject to internal disciplinary processes, including loss of privileges.

Unfortunately from time to time our officers are required to put themselves in harm’s way to ensure the safety and security of the community. We are thankful for their commitment, and for the important role they play in making Queensland safer for all of us.

Every day our officers interact with the most challenging and complex people in our society.

Officer safety is Queensland Corrective Services’ absolute priority. Every officer deserves to go home safely at the end of shift.

We take our responsibility as an employer to support our officers through appropriate training and provision of equipment, technology, and policy support very seriously, but recognise that we cannot remove all risk from the workplace due to the dynamic nature of correctional environments.

People who have been removed from society for violent or anti-social behaviour sometimes display that same behaviour in a prison environment, despite the best efforts of our officers to de-escalate situations.

When an officer is injured on duty, QCS is committed to supporting the officer and their family while they recover.