Stripped of our dignity: A human rights review of policies, procedures and practices in relation to strip searches of women in Queensland prisons
In July 2022, the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce published its second Hear her voice report examining and reviewing the experiences of women and girls across Queensland's criminal justice system. The report included a recommendation that the Queensland Human Rights Commission undertake a human rights review of policies, procedures and practices relating to the use of strip searches on women in Queensland prisons.
Stripped of our dignity, the final report of the Review, was published in September 2023.
The report concludes that strip searches fail to achieve improved prison safety and, at the same time, unreasonably limit the human rights of prisoners, their children and families, and prison staff. The report explores the key human rights issues and identifies opportunities for best practice drawing on human rights standards and the policies, practices and procedures from other jurisdictions in Australia and overseas.
The report makes 24 recommendations for Queensland Corrective Services on making search practices more human rights compatible and trauma-informed until such time as body scanners and other alternative technologies can be implemented.
Final report and recommendations
 | Stripped of our dignity: A human rights review of policies, procedures and practices in relation to strip searches of women in Queensland prisonsFull reportSummary report |
About our Review
Background
In 2022, the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, established to address the experience of women and girls in the criminal justice system, delivered its second Hear her voice report. In that report, the Taskforce recommended that the Commission conduct a review of strip search policies, procedures and practices and to provide advice and recommendations to Queensland Corrective Services.
The Taskforce also recommended that Queensland Corrective Services immediately move to implement widespread use of non-invasive search technology and implement policy changes in accordance with the advice in this report.
What is a human rights review?
This Review of strip search policies, procedures, and practices in Queensland women’s prisons is the first major review of its kind conducted under the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) by the Queensland Human Rights Commission.
We conducted this Review by undertaking site visits and consultations, conducting research, and reviewing and evaluating policies, procedures, and practices. We heard about issues from the perspective of stakeholders, particularly women in prison. We did not investigate or inquire into allegations, receive or test evidence, or make findings about potential breaches of human rights, as such an approach is not within the Commission’s review jurisdiction.
Site visits and consultations
We conducted this Review by undertaking site visits and consultations, conducting research, and reviewing and evaluating policies, procedures, and practices.
These included over 20 meetings and consultations between March and June 2023 with legal stakeholders, service provider stakeholders, and interstate prison inspectorates, as well as the Queensland Ombudsman Inspector of Detention Services unit and prison services in two other jurisdictions (Tasmania and Victoria).
We also held two roundtable discussions with official visitors and Together Union delegates, who were also given an opportunity to privately contact us to provide further details.
In April and May 2023, we conducted site visits to all five women’s prisons operating in Queensland and spoke with:
- five Prisoner Advisory Committees (PACs)
- approximately 60 prisoners in a PAC, one-on-one, or in a small group
- approximately 20 staff members either one-on-one or in small groups.
We sincerely thank the prisoners who trusted us with their stories and experiences, and to Queensland Corrective Services staff members and other stakeholders who shared their insights. Without the willingness of many individuals and organisations to share their experiences and perspectives, this comprehensive examination of strip searches in Queensland prisons would not have been possible.
