Queensland needs more prisons to improve safety: union

Together union secretary Alex Scott said there needed to be a long-term strategy to build more jails, especially in regional areas.

"We clearly think that building regional prisons has the advantage of providing a significant investment in terms of regional Queensland," he said.

"We think there needs to be a conversation about where they're best placed."

A proposal for stage two of the Southern Queensland Correctional Precinct near Gatton to provide a new 1004 cell, high-security facility for male prisoners remains in the business case phase.

Mr Scott said the infrastructure at Gatton was able to be expanded but the union believed future investments should also be made in other regional locations.

"The public sector does have a role in terms of providing appropriate injections back into regional economies - regional Queensland is doing it tough," he said.

"The ability to provide prisons in those locations beyond the current number would provide an opportunity to not only address the long-term crisis within corrections but also to provide a sustainable support for regional Queensland."

It comes after Woodford Correctional Centre staff walked off the job demanding action on overcrowding following the alleged attack on a 45-year-old prison officer by an inmate.

Prisoner assaults have increased by 95 per cent since 2013 across the state.

There were 3001 attacks recorded in the 12-months to September 2018.

Taskforce Flaxton, which examined corruption risks in Queensland prisons, revealed the state's jails were at 125 per cent capacity, citing overcrowding as a serious issue.

Mr Scott said officers had to attend unsafe workplaces because of the level of overcrowding.

"Every centre in Queensland is overcrowded, every centre in Queensland is unsafe for our members," he said.

"Our members put their lives at risk every day in relation to protecting the community."

Mr Scott said officers would not rule out future strike action unless "we see real movement from the government".

He said officers also wanted enough resources to run prisons safely and programs to reduce the number of prisoners in the system.

Following negotiations before the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Queensland Corrective Services has agreed to allow an extra staff member on the floor within secure units at Woodford.

There will also be a trial at the jail during which one officer per unit will be issued with capsicum spray.

Together delegates from across Queensland met on Wednesday to decide the union's position on reform in the corrective services system.

Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said the government was expanding prison capacity in Queensland.

"A $241 million expansion of the Capricornia Correctional Centre is under way that will delivery nearly 400 extra beds by 2020/21," he said.

"Less than 12 months ago, the government completed the recommissioning of the Borallon Training and Correctional Centre, delivering an extra 700 beds.

"The government ended overcrowding at Brisbane Women's by transferring women to the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre, which was originally a purpose-built prison for women."

Mr Ryan said the government had recently allocated another $15 million for an extra 1000 beds.

"By 2020/21, we will have delivered almost 3000 extra beds for prisoners across Queensland," he said.