3 months ago
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Western Australia’s adult prison population has ballooned by more than 1000 inmates in just two years – and the state’s prison watchdog warns the situation is unsustainable and dangerous.
In his 2024-25 annual report, Inspector of Custodial Services Eamon Ryan said the prison population and staffing shortages presented big challenges for the sector.
Casuarina Prison, Western Australia.Credit: Nine News Perth
Ryan said there had been a 15 per cent increase in the average prisoner population between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 – and another 12 per cent increase in the 2024-25 financial year.
However, he said that didn’t paint the true picture and, when looking at prison populations on a single day in the middle of the year, the adult population was 7800 on July 1, 2024 and 8475 a year later.
Ryan said that level of growth was unsustainable and, with staffing shortages also impacting the prison estate, conditions were worsening.
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“When the prison population is as high as it has been, coupled with insufficient staffing, time in custody is simply not as rehabilitative and reintegrative as it should be,” he said.
“People spend too much time in cell, and often with more people than the cell was designed to accommodate.
“Their access to therapeutic programs to address their offending behaviours is limited. Their access to other opportunities, like education and employment which build skills to help their chances to reintegrate, are also curbed.
“They get minimal access to recreational pursuits to burn off steam and better their physical and mental state. And the quality and quantity of their contact with family is also reduced because everyone is competing for the same phones and visit sessions.”
Ryan said these were “real frustrations” which could lead to “worrisome safety and security issues”.
“Unfortunately, this was borne out over the past year with an increased number of attempted suicides, and prisoner-on-prisoner assaults,” he said.
Earlier this year, it was revealed hundreds prisoners were sleeping on the floor to deal with overcrowding.
The government is reportedly considering building a new remand prison to deal with the explosion in numbers, but Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia has so far refused to confirm the move.
The state is already undertaking a 205-bed expansion of Casuarina Prison.
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Papalia has confirmed previously the government was developing a business case to address the prion population.
Opposition corrective services spokesman Adam Hort said the prison crisis was spiralling under Labor.
“With multiple independent reviews exposing overcrowding, staff shortages and alleged human rights abuses caused by years of mismanagement,” he said.
“It’s understandable that the community wants offenders held to account, but the reality is 99 per cent of inmates will eventually return to our streets, and they must come out better than when they went in, not worse.
“We are now seeing courts reduce or avoid prison sentences because of intolerable conditions or the absence of rehabilitation programs.
“WA Labor’s mismanagement of our prison system is either hardening offenders behind bars or leading to reduced sentences - both of which put community safety at risk.”
Papalia was approached for comment about Ryan’s latest report.
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