❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding prison officer numbers, prisoner statistics, contraband, assaults, and deaths in custody between 2006-2008. The response provides data and policy information.
AnsweredQoN 3334Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(2) What is the authorised strength of prison officers in Western Australia?
(3) What is the current strength of prison officers in Western Australia?
(4) What is the current muster (number of prisoners) in Western Australian prisons?
(5) What is the ratio of prison officers to prisoners at all Western Australian prisons?
(6) How many weapons were found in Western Australian prisons in 2006, 2007, and 2008?
(7) How many prisoners tested positive, or were found with illegal drugs and contraband in 2006, 2007, and 2008?
(8) How many prisoners were sexually assaulted in 2006, and 2007, and 2008?
(9) Are condoms available in Western Australian prisons?
(10) What sanctions are placed on prisoners who refuse to attend work in prison workshops?
(11) For each prison, how many prisoners died whilst in custody in 2006, 2007, and 2008:
(a) of these, were any in suspicious circumstances; and
(b) how many were suicides?
(3) What is the current strength of prison officers in Western Australia?
(4) What is the current muster (number of prisoners) in Western Australian prisons?
(5) What is the ratio of prison officers to prisoners at all Western Australian prisons?
(6) How many weapons were found in Western Australian prisons in 2006, 2007, and 2008?
(7) How many prisoners tested positive, or were found with illegal drugs and contraband in 2006, 2007, and 2008?
(8) How many prisoners were sexually assaulted in 2006, and 2007, and 2008?
(9) Are condoms available in Western Australian prisons?
(10) What sanctions are placed on prisoners who refuse to attend work in prison workshops?
(11) For each prison, how many prisoners died whilst in custody in 2006, 2007, and 2008:
(a) of these, were any in suspicious circumstances; and
(b) how many were suicides?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 June 2008
Responded by
Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
44 days
1) As at 30 April 2008, the number of prison officers who are currently working in Western Australian prisons (excluding those on long service leave, stress leave, secondments and medical leave) is 1385 [see tabled paper no]:
As at 30 April 2008 the number of custodial officers who are currently working in Acacia Prison (excluding those on long service leave, stress leave, secondments and medical leave) is 178.
(2) The authorised Prison Officer strength for public prisons in 2007/08 is 1,543 FTE. [see tabled paper no]
The authorised strength of custodial officers at Acacia Prison is 209.
(3) As at 30 April 2008, the current strength of prison officers in the Western Australian public prison system is 1,497.
As at 30 April 2008, the current strength of custodial officers at Acacia Prison is 208.
(4) The following table summarises the prison population by prison as at 30 April 2008. [see tabled paper no]
(5) The following table provides a ratio of prisoners to effective prison officers by prison in the public prison system [see tabled paper no].
(a) Includes Vocational Support Officers.
(b) The Emergency Services Group is a prison wide service that does not supervise prisoners.
(c) The average prisoner to prison officer ratio of 2.1 : 1 is based on counts of prisoners and prison officers located at prisons only. (i.e. excludes Emergency Services Group).
Acacia Prison had a prison population of 771 with 208 custodial staff. The ratio of prisoners to custodial staff was 3.7 : 1.
(6) Information collected from individual prisons indicates that the number of weapons found in Western Australian prisons during the identified date ranges: [see tabled paper no]
(7) An annual breakdown of the number of prisoners that tested positive to illegal drugs for the period January 2006 to April 2008 is provided below. These figures include the distinct count of prisoners testing positive to a urinalysis test in Drug Prevalence Testing or Routine Testing during this time. [see tabled paper no]
(8) 18 allegations of sexual assault against adult prisoners have been made since the start of 2006 [see tabled paper no] :
Of the 7 allegations of sexual assault made in 2006, one was referred on to the WA Police. The file was recently returned to the Department's Internal Investigations Unit (IIU) for further investigation.
The remaining 6 allegations were investigated by the IIU with the result that 3 were found to be not substantiated and there was insufficient evidence or information in the remaining 3 cases to provide a suspicion as to whether the assault did or did not occur.
Of the 6 allegations of sexual assault made in 2007, one was referred on to the WA Police and charges resulted.
The remaining 5 allegations were investigated by the IIU with the result that 2 were found to be not substantiated and there was insufficient evidence or information in the remaining 3 cases to provide a suspicion as to whether the assault did or did not occur.
Between 1 January 2008 and 4 June 2008, 5 allegations of sexual assault have been received. Of these, 4 were referred on to the WA Police for investigation; the alleged 5th victim did not wish to progress his complaint.
(9)Condoms are available in all Western Australian prisons that house male prisoners.
(10) Prison Regulation 43 allows a Superintendent to order a prisoner (not remand) to work and the refusal of such an order is an offence under Section 69 of the Prisons Act 1981. The Superintendent may impose one or more of the following penalties:
· A caution
· A reprimand
· Reduced pay for partial work-time lost without valid reason
· Regression to Basic Supervision
· Temporary cancellation of Gratuities
· Removal of access to canteen spends
· Removal of access to private cash other than funds in the prisoner's telephone account
· Loss of Privileges (removal of electrical items)
(11) [see tabled paper no] The following table provides the number of deaths in prison custody and the number of deaths that were apparent suicides or from natural causes as reported at time of death.
None of the above deaths were in suspicious circumstances.
Suicide can only be determined by the Coroner following a coronial inquest. At the present time there has been no finding on any apparent suicide that has occurred since 1 January 2006.
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As at 30 April 2008 the number of custodial officers who are currently working in Acacia Prison (excluding those on long service leave, stress leave, secondments and medical leave) is 178.
(2) The authorised Prison Officer strength for public prisons in 2007/08 is 1,543 FTE. [see tabled paper no]
The authorised strength of custodial officers at Acacia Prison is 209.
(3) As at 30 April 2008, the current strength of prison officers in the Western Australian public prison system is 1,497.
As at 30 April 2008, the current strength of custodial officers at Acacia Prison is 208.
(4) The following table summarises the prison population by prison as at 30 April 2008. [see tabled paper no]
(5) The following table provides a ratio of prisoners to effective prison officers by prison in the public prison system [see tabled paper no].
(a) Includes Vocational Support Officers.
(b) The Emergency Services Group is a prison wide service that does not supervise prisoners.
(c) The average prisoner to prison officer ratio of 2.1 : 1 is based on counts of prisoners and prison officers located at prisons only. (i.e. excludes Emergency Services Group).
Acacia Prison had a prison population of 771 with 208 custodial staff. The ratio of prisoners to custodial staff was 3.7 : 1.
(6) Information collected from individual prisons indicates that the number of weapons found in Western Australian prisons during the identified date ranges: [see tabled paper no]
(7) An annual breakdown of the number of prisoners that tested positive to illegal drugs for the period January 2006 to April 2008 is provided below. These figures include the distinct count of prisoners testing positive to a urinalysis test in Drug Prevalence Testing or Routine Testing during this time. [see tabled paper no]
(8) 18 allegations of sexual assault against adult prisoners have been made since the start of 2006 [see tabled paper no] :
Of the 7 allegations of sexual assault made in 2006, one was referred on to the WA Police. The file was recently returned to the Department's Internal Investigations Unit (IIU) for further investigation.
The remaining 6 allegations were investigated by the IIU with the result that 3 were found to be not substantiated and there was insufficient evidence or information in the remaining 3 cases to provide a suspicion as to whether the assault did or did not occur.
Of the 6 allegations of sexual assault made in 2007, one was referred on to the WA Police and charges resulted.
The remaining 5 allegations were investigated by the IIU with the result that 2 were found to be not substantiated and there was insufficient evidence or information in the remaining 3 cases to provide a suspicion as to whether the assault did or did not occur.
Between 1 January 2008 and 4 June 2008, 5 allegations of sexual assault have been received. Of these, 4 were referred on to the WA Police for investigation; the alleged 5th victim did not wish to progress his complaint.
(9)Condoms are available in all Western Australian prisons that house male prisoners.
(10) Prison Regulation 43 allows a Superintendent to order a prisoner (not remand) to work and the refusal of such an order is an offence under Section 69 of the Prisons Act 1981. The Superintendent may impose one or more of the following penalties:
· A caution
· A reprimand
· Reduced pay for partial work-time lost without valid reason
· Regression to Basic Supervision
· Temporary cancellation of Gratuities
· Removal of access to canteen spends
· Removal of access to private cash other than funds in the prisoner's telephone account
· Loss of Privileges (removal of electrical items)
(11) [see tabled paper no] The following table provides the number of deaths in prison custody and the number of deaths that were apparent suicides or from natural causes as reported at time of death.
None of the above deaths were in suspicious circumstances.
Suicide can only be determined by the Coroner following a coronial inquest. At the present time there has been no finding on any apparent suicide that has occurred since 1 January 2006.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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