Monday 14 April 2014

BLEIJIE TO BLAME FOR LATEST PRISON BREAKS

Media Release


Bungling Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie should admit responsibility for the latest spate of escapes from Queensland’s jails says Shadow Corrective Services Minister Bill Byrne.
“The Attorney-General, as Corrective Services Minister, is presiding over a shambles,” he said.
“He has cut staff and court-based diversionary programs with successful records of rehabilitation while simultaneously overloading the prison system to a point where jails are seriously overcrowded and prison officers, support staff and surrounding communities are at risk."
“Since June 2012 the number of inmates in Queensland jails has soared from 5,600 to 6,899 as a direct result of Mr Bleijie’s policies. In fact there are now more people in jail than the official capacity of our correctional facilities thanks to policies such as mandatory sentencing."
“With more prisoners than beds and prison officers working at full stretch, it is inevitable that more problems will arise in the jails."
“Today police are searching for a convicted murderer who was serving a life sentence, and an armed robber who escaped from the prison farm at the Capricornia Correctional Centre near Rockhampton."
“They are also on alert after a drug dealer absconded from the Blackall Work Camp.”
Mr Byrne called the Attorney-General the Minister for Escapes, citing the embarrassment of Mr Bleijie’s first juvenile boot camp which was shut down within hours of opening when two inmates ran away.
“The safety of staff who work on the frontline, and the safety of people who live near correctional facilities, is being compromised as a consequence of Jarrod Bleijie’s simplistic and failing focus on throwing more and more people into jail for longer periods."
“We have been warning that he could lose control of the prisons and the warnings are coming true."
“Surely it is now time for him to put his ego and personal image-building to one side and listen to wiser counsel for once in his life."
“And if he remains too arrogant to admit that he has made a mess of things, the Premier should act on his own pre-election pledge that Ministers would take responsibility when things went wrong in their departments."
“Mr Bleijie clearly has no plan to accommodate his tough-on-crime policies. How many more bungles will the Premier tolerate from this inexperienced, attention-seeking Minister?”

No comments:

Post a Comment