Woodford Correctional Centre
Woodford Correctional Centre is an Australian prison facility located on Neurum Road, Woodford, Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres north from Brisbane and 30 kilometres from Caboolture.
 Cell blocks, 2015 | |
| |
| Location | Woodford, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Status | Open |
| Security class | Maximum/Medium |
| Capacity | 988 |
| Opened | 1997 |
It is a high security facility for male prisoners with a capacity of 988 prisoners in single cell accommodation. It is the largest prison in Queensland.[1]
Woodford Correctional Centre has a very large industries base with 15 workshops that include manufacturing of furniture, steel products, upholstery, polyethylene rainwater tanks and steel rainwater tanks.
Escape
On 1 April 1997, 120 prisoners managed to escape from the secure unit by 'melting' the lexen walls with toasters & other items, making their way to the central officers unit and then going on into the low security residential area where they were joined by hundreds of angry inmates protesting the new prison policy of it being a non-smoking facility. Prisoners were offered a three-month supply of nicotine patches costing the Government $42 million. It took six hours before the centre's Custodial Officers and the TRG (tactical response group) finally resumed control. Woodford Correction Centre withdrew the ban on smoking in an effort to placate inmates.[2] Woodford Correctional Facility now has a total ban on smoking, which began in May 2014 due to a change in Queensland Government policy.[3]
Murders
Scott Lawrence Topping, 22, was serving time for $1,200 worth of unpaid traffic fines when he was murdered inside Woodford Correctional Centre, Queensland, on 12 September 1997.[4] Topping had three weeks left to serve before his release. He would be the first person to be murdered by inmates in Woodford Correction Centre. The phrase "One day someone on fines will top themselves" is in reference to the murder of Scott Topping in prison. Mark Day was convicted of strangling 22-year-old Scott Topping at Woodford prison. Mark Day was murdered in a prison in 2003.[4]
At the time of the murder of Scott Topping, the security CCTV systems were not fully operational.
Notable inmates
- Brenden Abbott (former)[5]
- Michael Katsidis (former)
- Alex Leapai (former)
See also
References
- Elise Worthington (30 June 2015). "Tensions run high in Queensland's largest prison, Woodford Correctional Centre, staff admit". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- "Smoking Bans in Key Public Areas and Environments". October 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- Dorsett, Jesse. "Queensland announces plans to ban smoking in all jails from May 2014". ABC Online. ABC. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- "Inquest into the death of Mark Walter DAY" (PDF). 18 May 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- Stoltz, Greg (17 July 2015). "'Postcard Bandit' Brenden Abbott makes impassioned plea for parole". The Courier Mail. Newscorp. Retrieved 22 August 2015.