❓ A WA parliamentary question scrutinising the contract and performance of Corrections Corporation of Australia at Acacia Prison, focusing on contingency plans, risk assessment, penalty enforcement, prisoner numbers, and operational comparisons with the state system. The Minister's response provides assurances and clarifications.
AnsweredQoN 890Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
890. Mr RIEBELING to the Minister representing the Minister for Justice:
(1) Is the Minister aware of the failure of the Corrections Corporation of Australia in Victoria in managing the Women's prison?
(2) In view of that failure, what contingency plans have been put in place in the event that Acacia Prison must be returned to Ministry of Justice management?
(3) What is the likely risk, as estimated by the Ministry of Justice, of the Corrections Corporation of Australia failing to deliver required services.
(4) What is the estimated cost to the State Government if Corrections Corporation does not deliver required services?
(5) To what extent will the Ministry of Justice accept penalty payments from the Corrections corporation of Australia before the contract is terminated for non-performance?
(6) To what extent will the Ministry of Justice accept penalty payments in favour of enforcing service delivery?
(7) How many penalty payments will need to be imposed on Corrections Corporation of Australia for the Ministry of Justice to terminate the Acacia Prison Contract?
(8) If unknown, why?
(9) What will be the value of penalty payments imposed upon Corrections Corporation of Australia for Ministry of Justice to terminate the Acacia Prison contract?
(10) If not determined, why not?
(11) Have the limits not been determined because the Director General of the Ministry of Justice is preparing to allow the contract for Acacia to continue operating regardless of service shortcomings?
(12) If not, why not?
(13) As at the date of advertising the Acacia Prison tender, how many-
(a) sentenced medium security prisoners from the metropolitan area were to be placed at the prison;
(b) were estimated to serve at least 12 months at the prison; and
(c) of these were expected to satisfy the minimum criteria needed for measurement of recidivism performance?
(14) Is this number enough to enable effective performance measurement for recidivism and for other measures?
(15) If not, why not?
(16) Were the measures purposefully developed by the Ministry of Justice to ensure that effective measurement was not possible?
(17) Will the Ministry of Justice be changing the classification system to ensure that there are enough medium security prisoners to fill Acacia Prison?
(18) If so why was the prison built so large?
(19) As at 30 September 2000 how many medium security prisoners belonging to the metropolitan area were available to transfer to Acacia Prison had -
(a) at least 12 months to serve;
(b) six or more but less than 12 months to serve; or
(c) less than six months to serve?
(20) Of these, how many had -
(a) at least 12 months to serve;
(b) six or more but less than 12 months to serve; or
(c) less than six months to serve?
(21) Will the occupancy of Acacia be kept at 100% or near to 100%?
(22) Will Acacia be kept full even if State Prisons are run at less than 100% occupancy?
(23) If yes, is this to provide Corrections Corporation of Australia with the full benefits of economies of scale at the expense of the State system?
(24) Is this a Ministry of Justice strategy to advantage the private sector in efficiency and smoothness of operation?
(25) Will Acacia Prison double bunk at the same rate as the State system?
(26) If not, why not?
(27) What methodology will be adopted by the Ministry of Justice to ensure that comparisons between Acacia and the State system are like with like?
(28) Will the Minister table the methodology?
(29) If not, why not?
(1) Is the Minister aware of the failure of the Corrections Corporation of Australia in Victoria in managing the Women's prison?
(2) In view of that failure, what contingency plans have been put in place in the event that Acacia Prison must be returned to Ministry of Justice management?
(3) What is the likely risk, as estimated by the Ministry of Justice, of the Corrections Corporation of Australia failing to deliver required services.
(4) What is the estimated cost to the State Government if Corrections Corporation does not deliver required services?
(5) To what extent will the Ministry of Justice accept penalty payments from the Corrections corporation of Australia before the contract is terminated for non-performance?
(6) To what extent will the Ministry of Justice accept penalty payments in favour of enforcing service delivery?
(7) How many penalty payments will need to be imposed on Corrections Corporation of Australia for the Ministry of Justice to terminate the Acacia Prison Contract?
(8) If unknown, why?
(9) What will be the value of penalty payments imposed upon Corrections Corporation of Australia for Ministry of Justice to terminate the Acacia Prison contract?
(10) If not determined, why not?
(11) Have the limits not been determined because the Director General of the Ministry of Justice is preparing to allow the contract for Acacia to continue operating regardless of service shortcomings?
(12) If not, why not?
(13) As at the date of advertising the Acacia Prison tender, how many-
(a) sentenced medium security prisoners from the metropolitan area were to be placed at the prison;
(b) were estimated to serve at least 12 months at the prison; and
(c) of these were expected to satisfy the minimum criteria needed for measurement of recidivism performance?
(14) Is this number enough to enable effective performance measurement for recidivism and for other measures?
(15) If not, why not?
(16) Were the measures purposefully developed by the Ministry of Justice to ensure that effective measurement was not possible?
(17) Will the Ministry of Justice be changing the classification system to ensure that there are enough medium security prisoners to fill Acacia Prison?
(18) If so why was the prison built so large?
(19) As at 30 September 2000 how many medium security prisoners belonging to the metropolitan area were available to transfer to Acacia Prison had -
(a) at least 12 months to serve;
(b) six or more but less than 12 months to serve; or
(c) less than six months to serve?
(20) Of these, how many had -
(a) at least 12 months to serve;
(b) six or more but less than 12 months to serve; or
(c) less than six months to serve?
(21) Will the occupancy of Acacia be kept at 100% or near to 100%?
(22) Will Acacia be kept full even if State Prisons are run at less than 100% occupancy?
(23) If yes, is this to provide Corrections Corporation of Australia with the full benefits of economies of scale at the expense of the State system?
(24) Is this a Ministry of Justice strategy to advantage the private sector in efficiency and smoothness of operation?
(25) Will Acacia Prison double bunk at the same rate as the State system?
(26) If not, why not?
(27) What methodology will be adopted by the Ministry of Justice to ensure that comparisons between Acacia and the State system are like with like?
(28) Will the Minister table the methodology?
(29) If not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
23 November 2000
Response time
7 days
The Minister Replied:
The Minister for Justice has provided the following reply.
(1) Yes.
(2) The processes and procedures for Ministry of Justice intervention in, and termination of, the contract is outlined in Division 5 of the Prisons Amendment Act 1999 and Clause 30 of the Acacia Prison Service Agreement.
(3) Minimal.
(4) The current cost difference between public prisons & Acacia is approximately $45.00 per prisoner per day.
(5) The grounds for termination of the contract are detailed in Division 5 of the Prisons Amendment Act 1999 and Clause 30 of the Acacia Prison Services Agreement. They are not linked to penalty payments from Corrections Corporation of Australia.
(6) The Ministry will always enforce contracted service delivery standards, irrespective of penalty payment.
(7) Refer (5).
(8) Not applicable.
(9) Refer (5).
(10) Not applicable.
(11) No.
(12) The Ministry of Justice has the means to enforce contracted service delivery standards and is prepared to use them.
(13) (a) 750.
(b) a significant proportion.
(c) a significant proportion.
(14) Yes.
(15) Not applicable.
(16) No.
(17) No.
(18) Not applicable.
(19) As at 30 June 2000, 781 medium security prisoners were accommodated in the metropolitan area. The remaining sentence length of these prisoners is not readily available.
(20) Refer (19).
(21) Yes.
(22) Yes.
(23) No.
(24) No.
(25) No.
(26) The movement of prisoners to Acacia Prison will relieve overcrowding in public prisons, allowing double bunking arrangements in public prisons to be significantly reduced.
(27) Acacia Prison will operate under the same legislation, policies, rules, performance standards and performance measures as public sector prisons.
(28) Refer (27).
(29) Not applicable.
The Minister for Justice has provided the following reply.
(1) Yes.
(2) The processes and procedures for Ministry of Justice intervention in, and termination of, the contract is outlined in Division 5 of the Prisons Amendment Act 1999 and Clause 30 of the Acacia Prison Service Agreement.
(3) Minimal.
(4) The current cost difference between public prisons & Acacia is approximately $45.00 per prisoner per day.
(5) The grounds for termination of the contract are detailed in Division 5 of the Prisons Amendment Act 1999 and Clause 30 of the Acacia Prison Services Agreement. They are not linked to penalty payments from Corrections Corporation of Australia.
(6) The Ministry will always enforce contracted service delivery standards, irrespective of penalty payment.
(7) Refer (5).
(8) Not applicable.
(9) Refer (5).
(10) Not applicable.
(11) No.
(12) The Ministry of Justice has the means to enforce contracted service delivery standards and is prepared to use them.
(13) (a) 750.
(b) a significant proportion.
(c) a significant proportion.
(14) Yes.
(15) Not applicable.
(16) No.
(17) No.
(18) Not applicable.
(19) As at 30 June 2000, 781 medium security prisoners were accommodated in the metropolitan area. The remaining sentence length of these prisoners is not readily available.
(20) Refer (19).
(21) Yes.
(22) Yes.
(23) No.
(24) No.
(25) No.
(26) The movement of prisoners to Acacia Prison will relieve overcrowding in public prisons, allowing double bunking arrangements in public prisons to be significantly reduced.
(27) Acacia Prison will operate under the same legislation, policies, rules, performance standards and performance measures as public sector prisons.
(28) Refer (27).
(29) Not applicable.
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