Bunbury Prison staff at risk while facility bursts at the seams.
The WA Prison Officers’ Union (WAPOU) has called on the Barnett Government to fix the serious concerns raised by the Inspector of Custodial Services in his report into Bunbury Regional Prison.
WAPOU Secretary John Welch said the report highlights overcrowding as a major concern with the occupancy rate at the prison almost 50% higher than capacity.
“Professor Morgan’s report says the cramped conditions at the prison have led to an increase in violence amongst inmates and a break-down in prisoner-staff relations.”
Urging the Minister to address the concerns as a priority, Mr Welch said the report confirms what the union has been saying for months now, that WA’s prison system is bursting at the seams.
“The Minister can’t keep saying our prisons are ‘below operational capacity’ when the Inspector of Custodial Services, the ‘independent umpire’, says our prisons are overcrowded and the staff are being put at risk.
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