Woodford Correctional Centre is an Australian
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...
facility located on Neurum Road,
Woodford Woodford may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Woodford, New South Wales
*Woodford, Queensland, a town in the Moreton Bay Region
*Woodford, Victoria
Canada
* Woodford, Ontario
England
*Woodford, Cornwall
* Woodford, Gloucestershire
*Woodford, Greate ...
,
City of Moreton Bay
The City of Moreton Bay, known until July 2023 as the Moreton Bay Region, is a local government area in the north of the Brisbane metropolitan city in South East Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it replaced three established local go ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres north from Brisbane and 30 kilometres from Caboolture.
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.
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. Woodford Correctional Facility now has a total ban on smoking, which began in May 2014 due to a change in Queensland Government policy.
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.
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.
At the time of the murder of Scott Topping, the security CCTV systems were not fully operational.
Notable inmates
*
Brenden Abbott
Brenden James Abbott (born 8 May 1962) is a convicted Australian bank robber. He is reported to have stolen and hidden millions of dollars, and was dubbed "the postcard bandit" by police seeking media coverage.Nyst, Chris (defence lawyer"The U ...
(former)
*
Michael Katsidis
Michael Alan Katsidis ( ; el, Μιχάλης Κατσίδης; born 15 August 1980) is an Australian former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2017. He held the WBO interim lightweight title twice between 2007 and 2010, and challeng ...
(former)
*
Alex Leapai
Elise Leapai (born 16 October 1979) is a Samoan Australian former professional boxer. His career highlight was a fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2014, for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, ''The Ring'' magazine and lineal heavyweight tit ...
(former)
See also
*
List of Australian prisons
This is a list of operational and former Australian prisons for adult males and females and youth detention centres for juveniles. Prisons listed as "museum" are former prisons that are now open for public inspection and tours.
Throughout th ...
References
External links
Woodford Correctional Centre at the Department of Community Safety webpage
Prisons in Queensland
1997 establishments in Australia
Buildings and structures in the City of Moreton Bay
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