The Minister for Corrective Services provides a detailed breakdown of deaths in custody in WA from 2021-2025, including adult and youth facilities, cause of death, and custodial setting. The data reveals a total of 69 deaths, with the majority occurring in adult facilities and attributed to apparent natural causes or apparent unnatural causes.

AnsweredQoN 1505Legislative Assembly
Asked
3 December 2025
Portfolio
Corrective Services

QuestionView source ↗

For each year from 2021 to 2025, will the Minister provide the total number of deaths in custody in Western Australia and broken down by: (a) adult corrective services facilities; (b) youth detention facilities; and (c) and for each facility, specify whether the death occurred in: (i) secure custody; (ii) hospital while under the custody of corrective services; and (iii) any other custodial setting?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
18 February 2026
Responded by
Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
4 days
The Department of Justice advises:
a)
Table 1: Adult Custodial Deaths in Custody from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025, by Facility and Calendar Year.
Facility
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Apparent Natural
Apparent Unnatural
Unknown Cause
Total
Acacia Prison
3
5
2
2
2
10
3
1
14
Albany Regional Prison
0
1
1
0
2
1
3
0
4
Bunbury Regional Prison
0
0
1
2
0
1
2
0
3
Casuarina Prison
6
5
5
5
6
21
6
0
27
Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
Greenough Regional Prison
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
Hakea Prison
2
1
2
5
3
3
10
0
13
Melaleuca Women's Prison
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
West Kimberley Regional Prison
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
Wooroloo Prison Farm
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
Total
13
14
11
14
15
41
25
1
67
b)
Table 2: Youth Detention Deaths in Custody from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025, by Facility and Calendar Year.
Facility
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Total
Banksia Hill Detention Centre
0
0
0
1
0
1
Unit 18 Juvenile Security a
-
0
1
0
0
1
Total
0
0
1
1
0
2
a Unit 18 was gazetted on 13 July 2022, and commenced operation on 20 July 2022.
c) (i), (ii), (iii)
Table 3: Deaths in Custody from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025, by Cohort, Facility, Apparent Cause of Death, Custodial Setting and Calendar Year.
Cohort | Facility | Cause of Death
| Custodial Setting
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Total
Adult
13
14
11
14
15
67
Acacia Prison
3
5
2
2
2
14
Apparent Natural
1
5
2
1
1
10
Secure custody
0
1
1
0
0
2
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
1
4
1
1
1
8
Apparent Unnatural
1
0
0
1
1
3
Secure custody
1
0
0
1
1
3
Unknown Cause
1
0
0
0
0
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
1
0
0
0
0
1
Albany Regional Prison
0
1
1
0
2
4
Apparent Natural
0
0
0
0
1
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
0
0
0
1
1
Apparent Unnatural
0
1
1
0
1
3
Secure custody
0
0
0
0
1
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
1
1
0
0
2
Bunbury Regional Prison
0
0
1
2
0
3
Apparent Natural
0
0
0
1
0
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
0
0
1
0
1
Apparent Unnatural
0
0
1
1
0
2
Secure custody
0
0
1
1
0
2
Casuarina Prison
6
5
5
5
6
27
Apparent Natural
6
4
4
3
4
21
Secure custody
0
0
1
0
0
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
6
4
3
3
4
20
Apparent Unnatural
0
1
1
2
2
6
Secure custody
0
1
1
1
1
4
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
0
0
1
0
1
Hospital - discharged prior to death
0
0
0
0
1
1
Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison
0
0
0
0
1
1
Apparent Unnatural
0
0
0
0
1
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
0
0
0
1
1
Greenough Regional Prison
0
1
0
0
0
1
Apparent Natural
0
1
0
0
0
1
Secure custody
0
1
0
0
0
1
Hakea Prison
2
1
2
5
3
13
Apparent Natural
0
0
1
1
1
3
Secure custody
0
0
1
0
1
2
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
0
0
1
0
1
Apparent Unnatural
2
1
1
4
2
10
Secure custody
2
0
1
3
1
7
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
1
0
1
0
2
Hospital - discharged prior to death
0
0
0
0
1
1
Melaleuca Women's Prison
0
0
0
0
1
1
Apparent Unnatural
0
0
0
0
1
1
Secure custody
0
0
0
0
1
1
Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison
0
1
0
0
0
1
Apparent Natural
0
1
0
0
0
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
0
1
0
0
0
1
West Kimberley Regional Prison
1
0
0
0
0
1
Apparent Natural
1
0
0
0
0
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
1
0
0
0
0
1
Wooroloo Prison Farm
1
0
0
0
0
1
Apparent Natural
1
0
0
0
0
1
Hospital under custody of Corrective Services
1
0
0
0
0
1
Youth
0
0
1
1
0
2
Banksia Hill Detention Centre
0
0
0
1
0
1
Apparent Unnatural
0
0
0
1
0
1
Secure custody
0
0
0
1
0
1
Unit 18 Juvenile Security
0
0
1
0
0
1
Apparent Unnatural
0
0
1
0
0
1
Hospital - discharged prior to death
0
0
1
0
0
1
Total
13
14
12
15
15
69

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