Residents near Capricornia prison farm frustrated after six escapes in two years
Updated
Local residents near a Central Queensland jail are concerned about the security of the facility, after two violent offenders escaped through an electric fence yesterday and are yet to be caught.
The Department of Justice has confirmed this is the fourth escape from the Capricornia prison farm involving a total of six prisoners since 2016.
Police remain on the hunt for Jermaine Lee Anderson, 30, and Brian Illington Trent Tapim, 23, who were missing in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Livingstone Shire Councillor Glenda Mather has complained there is a potential oversupply of prisoners, issues with perimeter fencing, and a breakdown of communication to local residents.
Councillor Mather said there was a lack of space in the main high security section of the Capricornia Corrections Centre, putting pressure on the lower security section known as The Farm.
"What we have is the main house, where the prisoners are being sent to jail faster than we can actually properly progress them through to the low security section," she said.
"I believe they're being transferred prematurely, in other words, before they're really ready to go into the farm area where they're progressed into society," Councillor Mather said.
Authorities believe the pair escaped The Farm through an electrified fence.
Councillor Mather added the farm fence had undergone a recent upgrade with electronic sensors added, and has called for answers as to whether the sensors were active at the time of the escape.
Residents not happy with text message system
The Department of Justice said local residents registered with the correctional centre received a text alert advising them that prisoners were at large.
However, Councillor Mather who lives in the shire said that was not enough.
"I don't know of anyone who was notified, only a handful of people may have been. I certainly wasn't," she said.
Residents Noel and Val Roberts who live across the road from the prison said they also had not been informed.
Councillor Mather has called for the return of sirens to alert residents.
"In the past we had a system set up that once the officers determined that a prisoner or prisoners were at large, a siren would automatically be sounded and people within a range of maybe one to two miles [3.2 kilometres] could hear that siren," she said.
"Residents would then be on alert for anything unusual in the area — dogs barking, clothes missing from the line, cars being taken."
Ms Roberts has also called for the return of the sirens.
"I would definitely prefer the siren, a lot of us are oldies, it's better to know someone's out," she said.
The Capricornia Correctional Centre has been approached for comment.
Police continue to search for the men and residents in the area have been warned to contact police rather than approach the escapees if they are spotted.
Anderson is described as having a medium complexion, hazel eyes, dark brown hair and what authorities have described as a coloured tattoo of the Southern Cross star on his neck.
Tapim is clean shaven, has brown eyes, no beard and short, balding hair.
First posted
