The Queensland Police Service (QPS) will work through actions to implement all 34 recommendations and enact sweeping custody management changes, after a review into watch-houses across Queensland identified significant opportunities for improvement.
The internal review was announced by the Commissioner of Police, Steve Gollschewski APM, in August 2024, with the aim of enhancing custodial functions across three main areas: Places, Processes and People.
It looked at current and future needs for watch-houses, including identifying areas for further development including training, management, facilities, and co-ordination with partner agencies.
Findings from the report not only highlighted areas for reform within the QPS, but it also identified a need to overhaul the whole-of-government custody management framework - an indication of the complexity and multifaceted nature of the challenges in the custody system across the state.
Deputy Commissioner of Regional Services, Cameron Harsley APM, acknowledged significant work needs to be done in this space, and while some changes will take time, there are steps the QPS can implement immediately.
"The QPS is committed to driving crucial reform and genuine transformational changes for QPS watch-house functions," Deputy Commissioner Harsley said.
"The review and its recommendations outline a clear course of action to address key concerns and drive meaningful change that effectively resets, corrects and delivers improvements across our watch-house network.
"To effectively address these complex challenges, we need to go wider than the QPS - it is imperative we adopt a whole-of-government approach and develop a risk-based custody management framework."
Among the challenges that have been identified is watch-house capacity issues across the state, which are worsened by the length of time people are being held in custody in these facilities, which are designed to be for short-term custodial use only.
QPS data shows there are approximately 78,000 people each year, or approximately 6,500 per month, processed through QPS watch-houses.
"The review showed that the longer a person stays in a watch-house, the more likely rates of non-compliance increase, causing serious safety risks and implications to both the person in custody and QPS staff," Deputy Commissioner Harsley said.
"The review has recommended that QPS prepares a policy position for Government that sets a maximum length of prisoner stay in watch-houses and holding cells, prioritising the safety and expedient transfer of vulnerable people, including women and girls."
Other recommendations include transferring ownership of watch-houses to the State Custody Unit, improving training and support for staff, implementing an infrastructure improvement plan, and trialling the use of a body scanner at watch-house entry.
"This review was never about delivering short-term solutions," Deputy Commissioner Harsley said.
"There are systemic issues that will take time and a whole-of-government approach to enact meaningful change.
"We will endeavour to work through and deliver on all 34 recommendations to deliver holistic and sustainable improvement across the Queensland watch-house network."
The Watch House Review can be viewed here: https://www.police.qld.gov.au/qps-corporate-documents/reports-and-publications/watch-house-data
FAST FACTS:
- The QPS operates 63 watch-houses across Queensland, with a total of 891 beds.
- In 2024, the QPS processed a total of 78,108 admissions through watch-houses, of which approximately 10% (7,432) were children. The total admissions for adults and children has increased by 6% since 2021.
- In 2024, adult prisoners spent on average 118 hours in watch-houses after they were remanded or sentenced.
- Children remanded or sentenced were more likely to spend longer in a watch-house, averaging 161 hours.
