Council signs MOU with Capricornia Correctional Centre

Published on 12 August 2016

Capricornia Correctional Centre A/General Manager Yme Dwarshuis and CEO Evan Pardon.jpg

Rockhampton Regional Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Capricornia Correctional Centre (CCC) to facilitate workload on major projects in the Region. 

Council’s CEO Evan Pardon said the four year agreement would see unskilled low-classification prisoners assigned to assist Council with the Mount Archer Activation Master Plan. 

“The Master Plan includes a number of low-skill construction and maintenance jobs that are suitable for unskilled prisoners,” Mr Pardon said. 

“The manual labour assistance provided by CCC will be at no cost to Council and as such we have accepted and signed the MOU this morning. 

“We are pleased to receive such assistance from the local prison and believe the output will continue to meet our high work standards in the community,” he said. 

Capricornia Correctional Centre A/General Manager Yme Dwarshuis said it was one of CCC’s core objectives under their vocational education and training programs to prepare prisoners to achieve gainful employment. 

“The work experience on offer with Council to prisoners will make a significant contribution in enhancing their employability and will increase their selection of experience and skill acquisition,” Mr Dwarshuis said. 

“We will provide up to 16 Low Classification CCC Farm prisoner workers at a time to work on Council’s Mount Archer Activation Master Plan working a maximum of 8 hours per day. 

In addition to community work, all prisoners accommodated at the CCC Farm are also eligible for employment on the prisoner reserve in grounds maintenance, commercial laundry and domestic duties.  

“The enhanced opportunities for prisoners under the MOU with Council will also act as a tool for them to make reparation to the community, and for this we are grateful,” he said. 

Under the agreement, Council will:

  • Communicate job requests to CCC  
  • Provide safe work sites and perform relevant inductions  
  • Provide adequate staff amenities. 

CCC will:

  • Support RRC by providing unskilled prisoners (up to 16 at a time) to work on Master Plan projects  
  • Assess job requests and dictate how many workers will be provided for each job  
  • Provide PPE, transport and meals to prisoners on jobs  
  • Provide periodic security supervision to prisoner workgroups on Council sites.

The agreement expires on 3 August 2020 unless sooner terminated by the parties.

Council is an equal opportunity employer and will continue to take its EEO responsibilities under legislation and moral obligations seriously.

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