As a permanent member of the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee, I attended estimates hearings on Friday, 24 July 2026. I attempted to make enquiries about progress into implementing recommendations that all hanging points in Arthur Gorrie and Townsville correctional centres be removed to prevent further deaths.
You can read my exchange with the Commissioner for Corrective Services below or in the official Parliamentary transcript of proceedings here.
Mr BERKMAN: I want to put a couple of questions to the commissioner. I am sure you are well aware that 16 people died in Queensland prisons in the most recent reporting year. Equally, successive reviews have recommended that known hanging points in Arthur Gorrie and Townsville prisons be removed to prevent further deaths. When I have asked about this previously, the response was in some respect about reducing demand for cells with hanging points being part of the approach. My question is: have we moved beyond that? Is there an active program and a plan in place to remove known hanging points from Queensland’s prisons?
Commissioner Stewart: The work that we will be doing in relation to Townsville and Arthur Gorrie with bringing on new cells—the additional 600 beds—continues to move us towards having fewer cells with hanging points in Queensland. In relation to deaths in custody, our people do an outstanding job in relation to observing and monitoring prisoners and providing support and welfare to prisoners along with psychological services. We do everything we can to minimise deaths in custody. In relation to the cells, we ensure we have robust psychological, risk and threat risk assessments in relation to individuals who are required to go into any cells that we have in that regard.
Mr SPEAKER: Member for Maiwar, do you have a follow-up before we go to government questions?
Mr BERKMAN: Yes. Do you have a figure for how many people are currently in cells in Queensland where there is a known hanging point?
Commissioner Stewart: I would not have those figures with me at the moment. However, the only cells that we have, as you mentioned before, were in Arthur Gorrie and Townsville. The vast majority of the cells that we have have safer, secure cells.
Mr BERKMAN: If you do not have the detail on you at the moment, is that a question that could be taken on notice?
Mr SPEAKER: It is up to the minister.
Mrs GERBER: The commissioner has just answered the question.
Mr BERKMAN: He answered it by saying he did not have the figures on him at the moment. If it is a question that could be taken on notice, it would be valuable information.
Mrs GERBER: His answer stands. No. We are not taking it on notice.
Mr SPEAKER: The minister is not taking it on notice. We will go to government questions