Two privately operated prisons in Queensland will be transferred into state hands, in a bid to reduce the number of assaults on staff.

Key points: Returning to state-run operations was as per Taskforce Flaxton recommendations, the Government said

Returning to state-run operations was as per Taskforce Flaxton recommendations, the Government said The Opposition questioned whether union influence played a part in the decision

The Opposition questioned whether union influence played a part in the decision Serco argued staff assaults had decreased since 2013 at Southern Queensland Correctional Centre

Of Queensland's 12 high-security prisons, two — the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre and Southern Queensland Correctional Centre — are currently run by private operators.

The State Government made the announcement this morning in response to recommendations from the Crime and Corruption Commission's Taskforce Flaxton, in a move that will cost the state an extra $111 million over four years.

Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said the report found the number of assaults on staff was higher at privately run facilities, due to lower staff numbers.

"State-run facilities have more staff, and more staff means more safety," Mr Ryan said.

"So the public operating model delivers on more staff safety and that is one of the considerations that has led to this decision.

"This will cost extra money but we think that this is justified and it is in the public interest."

The State Government said there would be more positions for staff under the publicly run model, and current staff would be given priority for positions in the newly transitioned centres.

The move is in a bid to reduce the number of assaults on staff. ( ABC News: David Iliffe )

The State Opposition has questioned the influence of unions on the Government's change in policy.

Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington said several Government MPs recently attended a union protest about prison management, including Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni.

Mr de Brenni was formerly the Assistant Secretary of United Voice, the union that represents prison guards.

"I refer to the United Voice protest attended by Minister de Brenni, chief whip [Don] Brown, and deputy whip [Nikki] Boyd, that included claims that Minister Ryan had blood on his hands and should be charged with manslaughter over his management of Queensland prisons," Ms Frecklington told State Parliament.

"Can the Premier rule out that this union protest influenced the Government's decision to change the management of Queensland's prisons?"

Serco said assaults on staff had fallen at Southern Queensland Correctional Centre since 2013. ( ABC News: Donna Field )

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insisted the decision was based on safety grounds.

"I'm not going to discuss cabinet deliberations here," she said.

"I met with Minister de Brenni. He apologised. And the matter has been closed."

Serco, the operator of Southern Queensland Correctional Centre (SQCC), defended its services at the prison, saying Taskforce Flaxton had not made any adverse findings about the company in its report.

In a statement, Serco Australia CEO Mark Irwin said information provided to the taskforce was that the number of assaults at SQCC in 2017, when it was a male prison, were the second lowest across all prisons, while in 2018 the total number of assaults on staff was six, none of which were serious.

Mr Irwin said while the number of assaults on staff had increased significantly across all Queensland prisons since 2013, they had fallen at SQCC.

"We have provided 11 years of outstanding service to the state of Queensland. We are very proud of our record, not only in managing SQCC, but introducing a number of innovations to reduce issues of overcrowding and to reduce reoffending in the community," Mr Irwin said.

Serco's contract expires in June and Mr Irwin said their staff now faced "considerable uncertainty".