❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Attorney General regarding the 2014 Inspector of Custodial Services report on Roebourne Regional Prison, focusing on cooling options, conditions, and inmate health. The response details progress on recommendations and inmate statistics.
AnsweredQoN 110Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ROEBOURNE
REGIONAL PRISON — INSPECTOR OF CUSTODIAL SERVICES REPORT
110. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Attorney General
representing the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the questions asked last week of the Western Australian
Commissioner of Corrective Services, James McMahon, by ABC's Tangiora
Hinaki regarding the February 2014 report 89, ''Report of an Announced
Inspection of Roebourne Regional Prison'' and the 2010 inspection
referred to in report 89.
(1) Did the department conclude its
evaluation of cost-effective cooling options for Roebourne prison?
(2) If yes to (1), what did it implement?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
(4) Is the current situation still intolerable and inhumane?
(5) How many inmates are there per cell?
(6) How many inmates are suffering from diabetes?
(7) Of the 30 recommendations made in the
2014 report, how many have been concluded? Please identify them.
REGIONAL PRISON — INSPECTOR OF CUSTODIAL SERVICES REPORT
110. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Attorney General
representing the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the questions asked last week of the Western Australian
Commissioner of Corrective Services, James McMahon, by ABC's Tangiora
Hinaki regarding the February 2014 report 89, ''Report of an Announced
Inspection of Roebourne Regional Prison'' and the 2010 inspection
referred to in report 89.
(1) Did the department conclude its
evaluation of cost-effective cooling options for Roebourne prison?
(2) If yes to (1), what did it implement?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
(4) Is the current situation still intolerable and inhumane?
(5) How many inmates are there per cell?
(6) How many inmates are suffering from diabetes?
(7) Of the 30 recommendations made in the
2014 report, how many have been concluded? Please identify them.
AnswerView source ↗
On behalf of the Minister for Corrective Services, I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
The Department of Corrective Services advises —
(1)–(3) The department has not
concluded the evaluation of cost effective cooling options and acknowledges
that further work needs to be done to ensure that thermal prison conditions are
acceptable. In addition to this evaluation, the department is exploring the development
of an appropriate risk-assessment tool to assess heat-related illness,
conducting research into the thermal comfort ranges used by other prison
authorities and considering their applicability to Western Australia, and
investigating the feasibility and cost of mechanisms to monitor and collect
representative data in prisons.
(4) No. All prisoners are treated humanely
and in accordance with the Prisons Act 1981.
(5) The number of prisoners in a cell varies
depending on the daily population. As at 22 February 2016, the population at
Roebourne Regional Prison was 162, consisting of 154 males and eight females.
The number of cells and the breakdown of beds was as follows: males—29
single cells, 12 x 2 bed cells, 5 x 3 bed cells, 1 x 4 bed cell, 1 x 5 bed
cell, 11 x 6 bed cells and l x 8 bed cell; females—six single bed
cells, 2 x 2 bed cells and 1 x 3 bed cells.
(6) As at 23 February 2016, 20 prisoners at
Roebourne Regional Prison had a diagnosis of diabetes. This equates to 12.5 per
cent of the prison's population.
(7) Five of the 30 recommendations in report
89 were not supported. Of the remaining 25, 13 have been concluded as outlined
in a table, which I will now table in the house.
[See paper 3857.]
honourable member for some notice of the question.
The Department of Corrective Services advises —
(1)–(3) The department has not
concluded the evaluation of cost effective cooling options and acknowledges
that further work needs to be done to ensure that thermal prison conditions are
acceptable. In addition to this evaluation, the department is exploring the development
of an appropriate risk-assessment tool to assess heat-related illness,
conducting research into the thermal comfort ranges used by other prison
authorities and considering their applicability to Western Australia, and
investigating the feasibility and cost of mechanisms to monitor and collect
representative data in prisons.
(4) No. All prisoners are treated humanely
and in accordance with the Prisons Act 1981.
(5) The number of prisoners in a cell varies
depending on the daily population. As at 22 February 2016, the population at
Roebourne Regional Prison was 162, consisting of 154 males and eight females.
The number of cells and the breakdown of beds was as follows: males—29
single cells, 12 x 2 bed cells, 5 x 3 bed cells, 1 x 4 bed cell, 1 x 5 bed
cell, 11 x 6 bed cells and l x 8 bed cell; females—six single bed
cells, 2 x 2 bed cells and 1 x 3 bed cells.
(6) As at 23 February 2016, 20 prisoners at
Roebourne Regional Prison had a diagnosis of diabetes. This equates to 12.5 per
cent of the prison's population.
(7) Five of the 30 recommendations in report
89 were not supported. Of the remaining 25, 13 have been concluded as outlined
in a table, which I will now table in the house.
[See paper 3857.]
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