Bikie brawl prompts call to fix chronic prison overcrowding
A violent bikie brawl inside Queensland’s largest jail has sparked calls to finally address the state’s chronic and increasing prison overcrowding problem.
Gang members, understood to be from rivals the Bandidos and the Mongols, clashed on Sunday at Woodford Correctional Centre, triggering a lockdown of the section in question.
Eleven prisoners were involved in the melee and several needed treatment for cuts and bruises but there were no serious injuries, according to Queensland Corrective Services
A QCS source, who did not wish to be named, told Fairfax Media Bandidos and Mongols faced off and the fight triggered a higher-level response, which meant all available prison officers were called to break it up
A QCS spokesman confirmed bikies were involved but stressed not all involved were bikie gang members.
“This was an isolated incident and not part of a wider problem at the centre,” a QCS spokesman said in a statement.
“Woodford Correctional Centre manages many people from many different groups and appropriate strategies are in place to handle any issues that might arise.”
The flare-up came as Queensland’s prison overcrowding problem continued to escalate.
Every high-security prison in Queensland is significantly above capacity, with the crowding getting worse in all prisons except the Brisbane Correctional Centre, which shed almost 80 prisoners since September 18.