The experiences of women and girls as accused persons and offenders will also for the first time be considered by an independent consultative taskforce in Queensland.
Chair Margaret McMurdo AC said in coming months the taskforce would travel to women’s prisons,including in Townsville,Gatton and the Brisbane region,to hear from women on their experiences in custody,including their access to adequate healthcare while in prison.
The taskforce said it had heard from a woman who detailed her time in a police watch house as “hell on earth”,with requested sanitary items taking hours to be delivered to the cell.
“She bled through her underwear and shorts,was not provided with a change of clothes and spent days in soiled clothing,causing her trauma and humiliation.
“She was allowed only one shower in five days and only a bar of soap and toothpaste[no toothbrush],” the discussion paper read.
Another taskforce submission described the work in prison as being “akin to slave labour”.
“My wages ranged from $2.20 to $7.60 per day. For the six months of my sentence I earnt under $25 a week working 7am to 6pm in the kitchen ... the issue is you have the ability to earn so little,but the costs for necessities in prison are high,” the discussion paper read.