CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | Contact
Wacol Prison, or Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre as it is officially titled, has been applauded this week for its work in sending men back out into the world even more troubled than they were upon their admission.
Located at Wacol in the Western Suburbs of Brisbane, Arthur Gorrie is one of only two private prisons in Queensland.
It is managed by GEO Group Australia, a subsidiary of the controversial US prison giant GEO.
Arthur Gorrie is a remand centre where people who have been ordered to be held in custody await their trial.
In 2016 the prisoner on prisoner assault rate was double the next most violent prison in the country.
The prison has revealed this week, that they have successfully been training many people who are coming down from a high or entering the prison system for the first time how to fight and how to numb their minds to senseless violence.
After the horrendous reports of increasing violence and decreasing mental health within the facility emerged this week, the General Manager of Arthur Gorrie sat down with our reporters to explain that he is over the moon with how the cost-cutting measures best associated with private entities that should be public bodies have hardened swathes of young men who could be released back onto the street.
General Manager Mr Profite said that; “Overcrowding, lack of staff, lack of training, and lack of essential services has done wonders for our bottom line, and it’s fucking most of these young men up so that they are going to be back with us a few months after they get out anyway.”
“Besides, we are giving these guys the skills to function in the organised crime world, which is the only place they will get a job anyway,” he said.
“But yeah, business is good. Just gotta wait for all this corruption stuff with the CCC to blow over and we should be in the clear again.”
“We’ve actually got a News Corp journo working on an expose on how horrible some of the inmates in here are to ensure the general public don’t really care how they are treated. So that should help things along,” Profite said.
We spoke to a young man who was held on remand there for a few months before eventually being acquitted of his charges about the experience.
“Yeah Wacol was great. I damaged my mental health to the point where I can’t really function on the outside but got to meet a heap of guys who will help me out in the real world, oh and I learnt how to fight properly!”
“I’d give it 4.5 stars on Jailadvisor.”
