❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses staff vacancies, transfers, contraband incidents, and contractor privileges at the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison. The Minister provides data on staffing levels, transfer requests, contraband seizures, and training procedures.
AnsweredQoN 4963Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, and ask: (a) Can the Minister list staff vacancies at the prison on a monthly basis since the beginning of the year: (i) If so, can the Minister highlight for each vacancy what sections of the prison the vacancies come from and their respective responsibilities; and (ii) If not why not; (b) On the day of my visit (5th March) to the prison, what staff vacancies existed, and from what section of the prison were these vacancies; (c) Ordinarily how many staff would/should operate the front desk, including the x-ray machine and metal detector: (i) On the day of my visit (5th March) how many staff were assigned to this section between 1pm and 4pm; (d) How many staff have sought a transfer from the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison after 12 months service: (i) Is this greater than average compared to other prisons; and (ii) Is the Department concerned that the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison is being used as an entry point to coastal locations; (e) Since the beginning of this year, how many drug/contraband incidents have been recorded at the prison: (i) How does this compare to previous years; (f) Are staff at the prison trained in managing visitor movements to and from the prison: (i) If yes, when were the most recent training sessions held; and (ii) If yes, did this training include managing the risks and strategies to reduce the risk of drugs/contraband being taken into the prison; (g) Are contractors who have regular work related activities inside the prison afforded the same privileges as staff in the prison: (i) If yes, what are these privileges; (h) Have any drug/contraband related incidents involved prison contractors: (i) If so, can the Minister list these incidents since March 2017; and (i) Was an incident report filed on the day I visited the prison (5th March): (i) If so, will the Minister table this report; and (ii) If not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 May 2019
Responded by
Minister for Emergency Services; Corrective Services
Response time
8 days
(a) (i) (ii) – (b)
Staff vacancies at the prison on a monthly basis since the beginning of the year, including 5 March 2019:
Uniformed Officers
Approved FTE
139
Substantive FTE @ 24 Jan ‘19
122
Vacancies
17
Substantive FTE 21 Feb ‘19
121
Vacancies
18
Substantive FTE 5 Mar 2019
121
Vacancies
18
*FTE = Full time equivalent
(c) (i) During each dayshift, a Senior Officer and 3 prison officers operate the front desk. Between 1pm and 4pm, staffing levels remain the same, however after Official Visits starts at 1330hr, 2 prison officers are required to conduct a perimeter security patrol.
(d) (i) (ii) Nine transfers have been approved from Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison for the calendar year to date. 30 transfers have been approved from all other prisons for the calendar year to date.
There are still 67 officers on the transfer list requesting to depart EGRP (49% of approved FTE). It should be noted that an officer’s name on a transfer list does not necessarily mean she/he will accept a transfer when offered. On average only about one third of transfers offered are accepted, subject to an available vacancy.
Prison
Substantive FTE
(Mar 2019)
Number on transfer list
Percentage of FTE
EGRP
137
67
49%
Other Regional Prisons
893
253
28%
Metropolitan Prisons
1358
310
23%
(e) The following table contains all contraband recorded as being found as part of search activity at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison by financial year.
Contraband
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
2018-2019 (YTD)
Crystal substance
0
0
0
1
Drug paraphernalia
7
9
27
6
Excess property
0
4
3
0
Green substance
0
2
6
0
Gvm
1
0
3
2
Mobile telephone
1
0
0
0
Needles
0
0
0
4
Other
16
19
48
16
Syringe
0
0
0
2
Tablets
0
4
11
3
Tattoo equipment
0
0
0
9
Unlisted electrical items
0
3
4
2
Unlisted other property
1
3
1
3
Weapon
0
3
5
1
White powder
0
1
2
0
(f) (i) (ii) Staff are not specifically trained in visitor movements to and from the prison. Staff receive training in gatehouse procedures.
(g) (i) Commercial contractors (in general) are not afforded work related privileges. Honeywell employees are treated like staff members and are required to complete the Corrective Services Employee and Security Orientation. They are also approved to use staff entry points, draw their own keys, duress alarms and security radios. They also work unsupervised in the prison.
(h) (i) – (ii) There have been no incidents at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison involving a contractor in relation to drugs or contraband between March 2017 and the date of the incident in question.
An incident report was not submitted on TOMS regarding the incident in question. However, the Security Manager of Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison did submit an Internal Memorandum dated 7 March 2019 to the Superintendent Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison in relation to this incident.
Staff vacancies at the prison on a monthly basis since the beginning of the year, including 5 March 2019:
Uniformed Officers
Approved FTE
139
Substantive FTE @ 24 Jan ‘19
122
Vacancies
17
Substantive FTE 21 Feb ‘19
121
Vacancies
18
Substantive FTE 5 Mar 2019
121
Vacancies
18
*FTE = Full time equivalent
(c) (i) During each dayshift, a Senior Officer and 3 prison officers operate the front desk. Between 1pm and 4pm, staffing levels remain the same, however after Official Visits starts at 1330hr, 2 prison officers are required to conduct a perimeter security patrol.
(d) (i) (ii) Nine transfers have been approved from Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison for the calendar year to date. 30 transfers have been approved from all other prisons for the calendar year to date.
There are still 67 officers on the transfer list requesting to depart EGRP (49% of approved FTE). It should be noted that an officer’s name on a transfer list does not necessarily mean she/he will accept a transfer when offered. On average only about one third of transfers offered are accepted, subject to an available vacancy.
Prison
Substantive FTE
(Mar 2019)
Number on transfer list
Percentage of FTE
EGRP
137
67
49%
Other Regional Prisons
893
253
28%
Metropolitan Prisons
1358
310
23%
(e) The following table contains all contraband recorded as being found as part of search activity at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison by financial year.
Contraband
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
2018-2019 (YTD)
Crystal substance
0
0
0
1
Drug paraphernalia
7
9
27
6
Excess property
0
4
3
0
Green substance
0
2
6
0
Gvm
1
0
3
2
Mobile telephone
1
0
0
0
Needles
0
0
0
4
Other
16
19
48
16
Syringe
0
0
0
2
Tablets
0
4
11
3
Tattoo equipment
0
0
0
9
Unlisted electrical items
0
3
4
2
Unlisted other property
1
3
1
3
Weapon
0
3
5
1
White powder
0
1
2
0
(f) (i) (ii) Staff are not specifically trained in visitor movements to and from the prison. Staff receive training in gatehouse procedures.
(g) (i) Commercial contractors (in general) are not afforded work related privileges. Honeywell employees are treated like staff members and are required to complete the Corrective Services Employee and Security Orientation. They are also approved to use staff entry points, draw their own keys, duress alarms and security radios. They also work unsupervised in the prison.
(h) (i) – (ii) There have been no incidents at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison involving a contractor in relation to drugs or contraband between March 2017 and the date of the incident in question.
An incident report was not submitted on TOMS regarding the incident in question. However, the Security Manager of Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison did submit an Internal Memorandum dated 7 March 2019 to the Superintendent Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison in relation to this incident.
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