Unionists say “warehousing” of inmates at Greenough Regional Prison is endangering staff safety.

The WA Prison Officers Union and Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Service Association claim the State Government is neglecting overcrowding problems at Greenough Prison and needs to act.

The Prison Officers Union said inmate numbers at the prison had reached 290 yesterday, 71 above the facility’s design capacity of 219.

POU secretary John Welch said the Government’s decision to double-bunk inmates was putting too much pressure on officers.

“It’s an ongoing concern for us that we have such an enormous level of overcrowding at Greenough Regional Prison,” he said.

“This issue makes it very difficult for prison officers to do their job safely and securely.” Mr Welch was concerned Greenough Prison had been pushed off the “Government’s list of priorities”.

“The Government really needs to deliver on its promises to build a female unit at Greenough,” he added.

“If you overcrowd prisons there will be more assaults – prisoner on prisoner, prisoner on staff. These are great worries for our members.”

Toni Walkington, CPSU/CSA branch secretary echoed similar concerns, saying overcrowding was impacting on staff stress-levels.

“Double-bunking is a dangerous measure, this type of warehousing can’t keep going on,” she said.

“We are concerned this will have major implications on the health of prison staff if there is not some relief to overcrowding by the Government in the long-term.”

A WA Department of Corrective Services spokesperson said Greenough was below its operational capacity.

“Double bunks meet necessary design standards,” said the spokesperson.

“We look at the prison system as a whole and have allocated infrastructure funds/beds to areas to areas of greatest need.

“The Department is constantly reviewing and adapting to needs of the prison system as it fluctuates.

SOURCE: Geraldton Guardian 03/02/2012

Professor Morgan’s report highlighted overcrowding as a particular concern saying the occupancy rate is almost 50 per cent higher than capacity and beds have been added to small cells originally intended for just one prisoner.

He says the cramped conditions have led to an increase in violence amongst inmates and a break-down in prisoner-staff relations.

Professor Morgan says prison management and staff are doing their best under the conditions but are sceptical about their ability to have a positive influence on prisoners.

“However, there are risks if the areas of concern identified in this report are not addressed,” he said.

• Read the ABC news story here »

• Read the Inspector of Custodial Services’ report here »

WA Prison Officers Union secretary John Welch said he was “extremely disappointed such a large promised increase in the prison capacity is not coming to fruition”.

© THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

The State Government announced in 2009 that a new male maximum-security unit would be built at Greenough Prison, only to decide months later that a female unit would be built in its place.

Yet two years on we’ve seen nothing to suggest a new female unit is going to be built.

The overcrowding continues and prison officers remain at risk.

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Radio 6PR Breakfast Show 02/11/11

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Over the past few months the Department of Corrective Services has been conducting a review of prison officer staffing requirements and prison operations throughout Western Australia – “The Safe Staffing Review”.

To date, Your Union has been involved in two rounds of discussions with the Safe Staffing Review Team. There is a clear difference of opinion between WAPOU and the Department about the approach they have taken which is based on creating benchmarks to standardise levels of staffing for a range of functions.

WAPOU have made it very clear that only an assessment of the actual workload performed will allow for the appropriate levels of staffing to be determined.

The initial report from the Department’s review team proposed cuts of 150 Full Time Equivalents. Following discussions between WAPOU, Local Administration and the Review Team, we have succeeded in reducing the number being considered down to 100 FTE.

WAPOU is adamant that this is still totally unacceptable and we will do everything we can to ensure that safety of staff remains the number one priority of this review. Your delegates have copies of the latest document so please feel free to ask them for details of the possible effect at your prison. It is vital that all members are involved in the discussion.

The next stage will involve negotiations at a local prison level. WAPOU will continue to argue strongly for the positions that our members believe are necessary.

The Department must respect the risk and put your safety first.

The Sunday Times has obtained results from the biggest staff survey ever undertaken by the Department of Corrective Services, the fourth-biggest government employer.

About 1800 employees were questioned as part of the survey, conducted over two months in late 2010, which found:

* 73 per cent said staff shortages were common in the workplace.
* 37 per cent said they had concerns about misconduct.
* 18 per cent said they had been subject to racist remarks.
* 35 per cent said they had been bullied in the past 12 months.
* 69 per cent said people in the organisation were not rewarded properly.

WA Prison Officers Union secretary John Welch said the findings were “extremely worrying”.

“Our members tell us there is a growing gulf between the management of adult custodial and prison officers on the ground,” he said. “The findings about bullying are also confirmed by what our members have been telling us about the way the department is seeking to manage staff.”

Read more at Perthnow

Read the ABC News story.

ABC News 3 August 2011

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