The Department of Justice is actively implementing changes at Hakea Prison, guided by matters raised by the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services (OICS) to improve conditions.
Hakea, one of Western Australia's major maximum-security prisons, houses adult male prisoners which include a large remand population.
OICS conducted a follow-up inspection at Hakea after issuing a show cause notice to the Department last year in accordance with the Inspector of Custodial Services Act 2003.
The inspection report recognised the efforts of a dedicated multidisciplinary taskforce set up by the Department and the innovative measures it has introduced to improve daily operations and welfare at Hakea.
The taskforce's initiatives, including bolstering casual clinical and custodial staff and new staffing agreements, are designed to enhance the safety, care and welfare of prisoners and restore normal daily routines.
The Department welcomes the OICS report's recognition of these efforts and is committed to continuous improvement.
OICS also acknowledged the Department's increased prison officer recruitment as Hakea contends with a rising prisoner population and a complex cohort.
Since OICS' original inspection of Hakea last year, 15 entry-level training programs have been conducted with 99 prison officers commencing at the prison.
Department Director General Kylie Maj said the demands on Hakea as the main remand, receival and assessment facility for adult male prisoners were compounded by increases in the prisoner population.
"It is pleasing OICS has noted the desire for improvement at Hakea from strategic leadership within the Department, operational leadership at the prison and the staff on the ground," she said.
"We remain committed to addressing issues identified by OICS and delivering better conditions and outcomes for Hakea prisoners."
Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce said the taskforce was striving to implement measures to enhance the safety, care and welfare of the prisoners and restore normal daily routines at Hakea.
"In addition, Hakea management and staff are focused on the security of prison operations and the wellbeing of prisoners and the workforce," he said.
"Beyond Hakea, the Department is also strategically managing the overall adult prisoner population across WA through a newly established adult prisoner population co-ordination working group, led by our Assistant Commissioner cohort.
"This initiative demonstrates our commitment to systemic, Statewide solutions."
