❓ Hon Peter Collier asks about prison officer vacancies at Casuarina Prison and across all WA prisons. The Minister provides figures showing vacancies but argues current staffing is adequate given lower prisoner numbers.
AnsweredQoN 1155Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CORRECTIVE SERVICES — PRISON OFFICER VACANCIES
1155. Hon
PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the Minister for Corrective
Services:
(1) How many prison officer
vacancies exist at Casuarina Prison?
(2) What is the total number of
prison officer vacancies in Western Australian prisons?
1155. Hon
PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the Minister for Corrective
Services:
(1) How many prison officer
vacancies exist at Casuarina Prison?
(2) What is the total number of
prison officer vacancies in Western Australian prisons?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for
Corrective Services.
(1) The following
FTE is for Casuarina Prison as at 30 November 2021. The approved FTE is based
on a prisoner population of 1 490. However, actual
prisoner population on 9 December 2021 is 1 141, with the prison operating at
76 per cent capacity.
I seek leave to have the table
incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Casuarina
Rank
Approved
FTE
Substantive
FTE
Vacancies
Principal
Officer
4
4
0
Senior
Officer
79
78
-1
Prison
Officer
421
400.5
-20.5
VSO
103
93.6
-9.4
Total
607
576.1
-30.9
(2) The following FTE is for public prisons as at 30 November
2021. The approved FTE is based on a prisoner population of 6 552.
However, the actual prisoner population on 9 December 2021 is 4 984, with the
custodial estate operating at 76 per cent capacity.
I seek leave to have this table
incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Public Prisons
Rank
Approved
FTE
Substantive
FTE
Vacancies
Principal
Officer
29
27
-2
Senior
Officer
410
372
-38
Prison
Officer
1920
1844.2
-75.8
VSO/Work
camps
544.6
484.1
-60.5
Total
2903.6
2727.3
-176.3
Please note that the approved FTE
refers to the number of officers contained in the staffing agreements for each
facility. Approved FTE is based on the approved prison capacity. When
facilities are running under their capacity, the facility can operate with a lower
level of staffing and the department holds these unrequired positions vacant.
In the context of the current number of prisoners being managed—down 1 568
on approved capacity—the current substantive staffing levels are
considered adequate.
The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for
Corrective Services.
(1) The following
FTE is for Casuarina Prison as at 30 November 2021. The approved FTE is based
on a prisoner population of 1 490. However, actual
prisoner population on 9 December 2021 is 1 141, with the prison operating at
76 per cent capacity.
I seek leave to have the table
incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Casuarina
Rank
Approved
FTE
Substantive
FTE
Vacancies
Principal
Officer
4
4
0
Senior
Officer
79
78
-1
Prison
Officer
421
400.5
-20.5
VSO
103
93.6
-9.4
Total
607
576.1
-30.9
(2) The following FTE is for public prisons as at 30 November
2021. The approved FTE is based on a prisoner population of 6 552.
However, the actual prisoner population on 9 December 2021 is 4 984, with the
custodial estate operating at 76 per cent capacity.
I seek leave to have this table
incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Public Prisons
Rank
Approved
FTE
Substantive
FTE
Vacancies
Principal
Officer
29
27
-2
Senior
Officer
410
372
-38
Prison
Officer
1920
1844.2
-75.8
VSO/Work
camps
544.6
484.1
-60.5
Total
2903.6
2727.3
-176.3
Please note that the approved FTE
refers to the number of officers contained in the staffing agreements for each
facility. Approved FTE is based on the approved prison capacity. When
facilities are running under their capacity, the facility can operate with a lower
level of staffing and the department holds these unrequired positions vacant.
In the context of the current number of prisoners being managed—down 1 568
on approved capacity—the current substantive staffing levels are
considered adequate.
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