Prisoners at Maryborough Correctional Centre have been filling sandbags in readiness for possible flooding along the Fraser Coast when the State’s storm season begins.
General Manager of Maryborough Correctional Centre, Chief Superintendent Kris Winter said it was the fifth year that the prison had helped the Wide Bay region to get ready for natural disasters with a stockpile of 6,000 sandbags already available.
“Queensland Corrective Services has an integral role in supporting disaster management groups across Queensland to prepare for and clean up after weather events,” Chief Superintendent Winter said.
“Last summer, our local prisoners filled almost 10,000 sandbags which were used by Fraser Coast Regional Council to protect the Maryborough central business district during two significant flood events.”
He said the Centre’s prisoners welcomed the opportunity to give back to the community.
“The prisoners are supporting our emergency services to keep the community safe by filling the sandbags and they’re learning valuable work and life skills to help them avoid further offending when they’re back in the community,” Chief Superintendent Winter said.
“Work like this also increases the safety of our Centres by engaging prisoners in meaningful activities and providing the chance to interact with our officers in a positive, respectful way, which supports rehabilitation and behaviour change.”
Mayor of Fraser Coast, George Seymour said having sandbags stockpiled at the ready in State Emergency Services (SES) depots boosted its ability to respond in an emergency.
“Having the sandbags at the depots means Council and the SES volunteers are ready to move and hit the ground running in an event, rather than having to divert resources into filling sandbags,” Mr Seymour said.
