QAI made a submission to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee on the Inspector of Detention Services Bill 2021.
People with disability are over-represented in all sites of detention and are at greater risk of experiencing torture and ill-treatment in these settings. The Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), which comes into effect in Australia in January 2022, outlines a mechanism for reducing these risks. OPCAT takes a preventive approach and requires States to create an inspectorate body called the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). This submission explores how OPCAT can be implemented in Queensland in such a way that ensures the rights of people with disability in sites of detention are upheld.