Superseded - Corrective Services Facilities Direction

This direction has been superseded by the Corrective Services Facilities Direction (No. 2)

Summary

The following directive explains that from Monday 23 March 2020, personal visits to Queensland prisons have stopped until the public health emergency for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has ended, or the direction has been cancelled or replaced.

Read the announcement and updates from Queensland Corrective Services.

Direction from Chief Health Officer in accordance with emergency powers arising from the declared public health emergency

Public Health Act 2005 (Qld)
Section 362B

On 29 January 2020, under the Public Health Act 2005, the Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services made an order declaring a public health emergency in relation to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The public health emergency area specified in the order is for ‘all of Queensland’. Its duration has been extended by regulation to 19 May 2020.

Further to this declaration, l, Dr Jeannette Young, Chief Health Officer, reasonably believe it is necessary to give the following directions pursuant to the powers under s362B of the Public Health Act 2005 to assist in containing, or to respond to, the spread of COVID-19 within the community.

PART 1 – PROHIBITION ON PERSONAL VISITORS TO PRISONS

The purpose of this Part is to prohibit personal visitors to corrective service facilities that operate under the Corrective Services Act 2006.

Directions

  1. These directions apply from Monday, 23 March 2020 until the end of the declared public health emergency, unless they are revoked or replaced.
  2. The chief executive of the Department in which the Corrective Services Act 2006 is administered must not allow a personal visitor to enter a corrective services facility.
  3. A corrective services officer must not allow a personal visitor to enter a corrective services facility.
  4. A personal visitor must not enter or attempt to enter a corrective services facility.

Definitions

For the purposes of the directions in Part 1:

  1. Corrective services facility has the same meaning as set out in Schedule 4 of the Corrective Services Act 2006.
  2. Personal visitor has the same meaning as set out in Schedule 4 of the Corrective Services Act 2006.

PART 2 – PENALTIES

A person to whom the direction applies commits an offence if the person fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the direction.

Section 362D of the Public Health Act 2005 provides:

Failure to comply with public health directions

    A person to whom a public health direction applies must comply with the direction unless the person has a reasonable excuse.
    Maximum penalty—100 penalty units.

Dr Jeannette Young
Chief Health Officer
22 March 2020

Published on the Queensland Health website 22 March 2020, 5.13pm

Last updated: 19 May 2020