❓ Mr Logan questions the Minister for Corrective Services on the discrepancy between stated prison bed availability and the reality on the ground, citing issues at Hakea, Casuarina, Albany, and Bunbury prisons. The Minister deflects, accuses the opposition of misinterpreting information, and defends the government's prison construction strategy.
AnsweredQoN 80Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PRISONS — INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION
80. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the minister's statement in The Sunday Times on 26 February that —
an existing $655 million capital
works program would provide an extra 700–800 beds by the end of next
month.
(1) How can
this claim be achieved when 530 of those beds in the new units at Hakea and
Casuarina Prisons are still not open?
(2) How can
this claim be achieved when Albany Regional Prison opened 96 new beds on the
weekend but at the same time closed 90 beds in unit 3?
(3) How can
this claim be achieved when Bunbury Regional Prison, with an occupancy rate of
145 per cent, is unable to open 30 to 40 beds in unit 5 because it has no
money?
80. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the minister's statement in The Sunday Times on 26 February that —
an existing $655 million capital
works program would provide an extra 700–800 beds by the end of next
month.
(1) How can
this claim be achieved when 530 of those beds in the new units at Hakea and
Casuarina Prisons are still not open?
(2) How can
this claim be achieved when Albany Regional Prison opened 96 new beds on the
weekend but at the same time closed 90 beds in unit 3?
(3) How can
this claim be achieved when Bunbury Regional Prison, with an occupancy rate of
145 per cent, is unable to open 30 to 40 beds in unit 5 because it has no
money?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Cockburn for the question.
(1)–(3)
The first part of the question relates to the capital works program that we
have in place. I do not recall The Sunday
Times article, but the point is that —
Mr F.M. Logan : You're
quoted in it!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Sure, a little while ago —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
The point being —
Mr F.M. Logan : No,
it was last Sunday!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : The member for Cockburn obviously has to be very careful about
taking everything written in the paper to heart. I am sure the member fully
understands that!
Several members interjected.
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : Let us just get the key issues on the table. The key issues
are around the overcrowding in prisons. Yes, we are reaching a new high point
within our prison system. We presently —
Mr F.M. Logan : No,
you've reached the new high point!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Today there are 4 915 prisoners in our prison system. That is not the highest
because the highest was a couple of days ago, but the point is that it is back
to one of the highest levels ever. The Liberal–National government's
response to that is to build prisons.
Mr F.M. Logan : And
there are no prisoners in them—that's the problem!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
The Liberal–National government has a prison construction strategy; the
Labor Party had a prisoner reduction strategy. Its strategy was to have these
people out in the community and not in prisons. Yes, the population is tracking
up. Yes, we have made significant investments to ensure that we have the beds
in the prison system to be able to cater for —
Mr F.M. Logan : You
haven't got the beds!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Absolutely we have!
Mr F.M. Logan : As
you open the new units, you close one!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn, if you wish to ask a supplementary question, you know I
will give you that supplementary question, but continually interjecting on the
minister right next to you will not assist you in getting an answer.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : We
presently have 5 178 beds within our prison system, including work camps. That
is the highest number of beds in prisons in Western Australia ever. This
government still has a capital works program that is rolling out new prisons in
regional Western Australia.
The member raised, quite rightly, that I hoped to have the
two units at Casuarina and Hakea Prisons open now—that is, two 256-bed
units—and it concerns me that they are not. But a range of issues has
been raised, including some from the Prison Officers Union.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : It
is important that we listen to that; they are the workers and they do a
fantastic job. I do not know whether members opposite want to mock the job that
they do, but they certainly do a fantastic job.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cannington!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
was criticising and what I criticised yesterday —
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am
sure the member for Cockburn wants an answer to this. Member for Cannington,
continual interjecting will not help the member for Cockburn get an answer.
Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Thank
you, Mr Speaker.
To respond to the point the member for Cannington raised,
yesterday I criticised the Prison Officers Union and others for peddling, in
public by way of a letter drop, information that was fundamentally wrong.
Within the prison system we have prison officers who do a fantastic job in
sometimes very, very challenging circumstances. These new worksites—the
sites at Casuarina, Hakea, and Albany—are purpose-built facilities that
will ensure that not only are prison officers working in a safe environment,
but also that there are suitable facilities for prisoners.
Mr F.M. Logan :
There are no prisoners in it! You and I opened it in April last year.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, the way you are going I am going to finish
question time at this point. Would you stop interjecting on the minister! I
formally call you to order for the first time today. You have asked a question
and you are not giving the minister a chance to provide an answer.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
just want to highlight that I would love to have those facilities open now. In
fact, I know that the prison officers want to move in and I know that the
prisoners want to move in. There is a range of issues —
Several members interjected.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
They do. They do.
Mr F.M. Logan : I am
sure they are busting to get in there.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
They are looking forward to going into the new facilities, and I think that is
a good thing because it will certainly take some pressure off the system. I
know that we are working through some final arrangements to ensure that the
security arrangements are in place and the faults identified. Plus, as I said
before, some issues on those sites have been raised by the Prison Officers
Union, to which the Department of Corrective Services is appropriately
responding. I am hoping that at least the one at Hakea will be open very soon,
and the one at Casuarina by the end of March. That will add another, I think,
528 beds to the system within a month. I think that this Liberal–National
government's record on tracking the prison system to the prison
population is a sound one. It is important that we keep the community safe. We
are about responding to needs.
(1)–(3)
The first part of the question relates to the capital works program that we
have in place. I do not recall The Sunday
Times article, but the point is that —
Mr F.M. Logan : You're
quoted in it!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Sure, a little while ago —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
The point being —
Mr F.M. Logan : No,
it was last Sunday!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : The member for Cockburn obviously has to be very careful about
taking everything written in the paper to heart. I am sure the member fully
understands that!
Several members interjected.
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : Let us just get the key issues on the table. The key issues
are around the overcrowding in prisons. Yes, we are reaching a new high point
within our prison system. We presently —
Mr F.M. Logan : No,
you've reached the new high point!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Today there are 4 915 prisoners in our prison system. That is not the highest
because the highest was a couple of days ago, but the point is that it is back
to one of the highest levels ever. The Liberal–National government's
response to that is to build prisons.
Mr F.M. Logan : And
there are no prisoners in them—that's the problem!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
The Liberal–National government has a prison construction strategy; the
Labor Party had a prisoner reduction strategy. Its strategy was to have these
people out in the community and not in prisons. Yes, the population is tracking
up. Yes, we have made significant investments to ensure that we have the beds
in the prison system to be able to cater for —
Mr F.M. Logan : You
haven't got the beds!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Absolutely we have!
Mr F.M. Logan : As
you open the new units, you close one!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn, if you wish to ask a supplementary question, you know I
will give you that supplementary question, but continually interjecting on the
minister right next to you will not assist you in getting an answer.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : We
presently have 5 178 beds within our prison system, including work camps. That
is the highest number of beds in prisons in Western Australia ever. This
government still has a capital works program that is rolling out new prisons in
regional Western Australia.
The member raised, quite rightly, that I hoped to have the
two units at Casuarina and Hakea Prisons open now—that is, two 256-bed
units—and it concerns me that they are not. But a range of issues has
been raised, including some from the Prison Officers Union.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : It
is important that we listen to that; they are the workers and they do a
fantastic job. I do not know whether members opposite want to mock the job that
they do, but they certainly do a fantastic job.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cannington!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
was criticising and what I criticised yesterday —
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am
sure the member for Cockburn wants an answer to this. Member for Cannington,
continual interjecting will not help the member for Cockburn get an answer.
Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Thank
you, Mr Speaker.
To respond to the point the member for Cannington raised,
yesterday I criticised the Prison Officers Union and others for peddling, in
public by way of a letter drop, information that was fundamentally wrong.
Within the prison system we have prison officers who do a fantastic job in
sometimes very, very challenging circumstances. These new worksites—the
sites at Casuarina, Hakea, and Albany—are purpose-built facilities that
will ensure that not only are prison officers working in a safe environment,
but also that there are suitable facilities for prisoners.
Mr F.M. Logan :
There are no prisoners in it! You and I opened it in April last year.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, the way you are going I am going to finish
question time at this point. Would you stop interjecting on the minister! I
formally call you to order for the first time today. You have asked a question
and you are not giving the minister a chance to provide an answer.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
just want to highlight that I would love to have those facilities open now. In
fact, I know that the prison officers want to move in and I know that the
prisoners want to move in. There is a range of issues —
Several members interjected.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
They do. They do.
Mr F.M. Logan : I am
sure they are busting to get in there.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
They are looking forward to going into the new facilities, and I think that is
a good thing because it will certainly take some pressure off the system. I
know that we are working through some final arrangements to ensure that the
security arrangements are in place and the faults identified. Plus, as I said
before, some issues on those sites have been raised by the Prison Officers
Union, to which the Department of Corrective Services is appropriately
responding. I am hoping that at least the one at Hakea will be open very soon,
and the one at Casuarina by the end of March. That will add another, I think,
528 beds to the system within a month. I think that this Liberal–National
government's record on tracking the prison system to the prison
population is a sound one. It is important that we keep the community safe. We
are about responding to needs.
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