
Prison to be reopened without suicide proofing cells
PRISONERS at high risk of suicide will not be housed in a soon-to-be-reopened Queensland jail through fears they could hang themselves on so-called hanging points in 244 cells.
Queensland Corrective Services has promised not to house any prisoners at acute risk of suicide in the prison.
But a well-respected suicide researcher said QCS would struggle to find any prisoners safe to stay in any of the 244 Borallon Correctional Centre cells with so-called hanging points.
"Just being accused of a crime, even if you're innocent, that automatically makes you high suicide risk. It's one of the bigger risk factors and pretty well established," Dr Keith Harris of the University of Queensland said.
"Then being convicted and incarcerated just increases suicide risk even more and these can be for people who are previously considered non-suicidal or low risk.
