❓ Mr. Millman asks about the Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison and its role in addressing methamphetamine addiction. The Minister responds by highlighting the government's commitment to rehabilitation, contrasting it with the previous government's record, and detailing the prison's establishment and positive reception.
AnsweredQoN 524Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE — WANDOO REHABILITATION
PRISON
524. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for
Corrective Services:
Minister, I refer to
the McGowan Labor government's unprecedented commitment to driving down
methamphetamine use across WA, which the previous Liberal–National
government failed to address in eight and a half years. Can the minister
outline to the house how the Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison, the first in this
state, will help tackle addiction and break the cycle of drug offending and re-offending?
PRISON
524. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for
Corrective Services:
Minister, I refer to
the McGowan Labor government's unprecedented commitment to driving down
methamphetamine use across WA, which the previous Liberal–National
government failed to address in eight and a half years. Can the minister
outline to the house how the Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison, the first in this
state, will help tackle addiction and break the cycle of drug offending and re-offending?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much
indeed, member for Mount Lawley, for that question and I thank him for his
ongoing interest in the rehabilitation of prisoners in Western Australia.
Yesterday, I talked
about the horrendous mess we inherited from the previous government in the area
of corrections. I would like now to talk about how we are turning around that
mess and improving conditions for people who find themselves locked up as a result
of their drug taking or any criminal activity that has occurred as a result of
their drug taking. The methamphetamine action plan, an election commitment made
by Labor going into the 2017 election, included the creation of rehabilitation
prisons, one for females and one for males. In just under 18 months, we have
delivered on the first component of that election promise—that is, a female
rehabilitation prison for prisoners who find themselves addicted to various substances,
including alcohol and drugs. Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison emerged originally—people
might remember—from a juvenile remand facility, which was closed by the
previous government in 2012. Those young people were put into Banksia Hill
Detention Centre, which, as the opposition, we opposed, indicating that it
would lead to riots and horrendous problems at Banksia Hill, and that is
exactly what occurred. That facility was then put out as a reintegration
facility and contracted to Serco. When that contract ended at the beginning of May
this year, it was taken back in-house by our government and converted to the
rehabilitation prison. So far, 24 prisoners are in that rehabilitation prison,
there are beds for 77 prisoners and we are gradually ramping up the numbers at
the rehabilitation prison. On Tuesday last week, I visited the prison with
ministers from around the country. All the ministers from around the country
were super impressed with what we are doing at Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison.
An opposition member
interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN :
They were. This is the first of its kind in the whole of Australia. The
Singapore government is also interested in what we are doing in Western Australia
in attempting to turn around the lives of these women who find themselves in
jail. Along with the Commissioner for Corrective Services, I initially thought
that, with 77 beds, we would not have enough people to fill those beds. Over
180 women across Western Australia in various correction facilities have put up
their hand and asked to be part of the therapeutic program that will help them
get off their addictions. That is a very, very good thing for Western Australia.
If we can help turn around these people's lives and break that cycle of
addiction, it means that we are helping those people and their families and
reducing the level of crime in Western Australia and that can only be a good
thing.
indeed, member for Mount Lawley, for that question and I thank him for his
ongoing interest in the rehabilitation of prisoners in Western Australia.
Yesterday, I talked
about the horrendous mess we inherited from the previous government in the area
of corrections. I would like now to talk about how we are turning around that
mess and improving conditions for people who find themselves locked up as a result
of their drug taking or any criminal activity that has occurred as a result of
their drug taking. The methamphetamine action plan, an election commitment made
by Labor going into the 2017 election, included the creation of rehabilitation
prisons, one for females and one for males. In just under 18 months, we have
delivered on the first component of that election promise—that is, a female
rehabilitation prison for prisoners who find themselves addicted to various substances,
including alcohol and drugs. Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison emerged originally—people
might remember—from a juvenile remand facility, which was closed by the
previous government in 2012. Those young people were put into Banksia Hill
Detention Centre, which, as the opposition, we opposed, indicating that it
would lead to riots and horrendous problems at Banksia Hill, and that is
exactly what occurred. That facility was then put out as a reintegration
facility and contracted to Serco. When that contract ended at the beginning of May
this year, it was taken back in-house by our government and converted to the
rehabilitation prison. So far, 24 prisoners are in that rehabilitation prison,
there are beds for 77 prisoners and we are gradually ramping up the numbers at
the rehabilitation prison. On Tuesday last week, I visited the prison with
ministers from around the country. All the ministers from around the country
were super impressed with what we are doing at Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison.
An opposition member
interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN :
They were. This is the first of its kind in the whole of Australia. The
Singapore government is also interested in what we are doing in Western Australia
in attempting to turn around the lives of these women who find themselves in
jail. Along with the Commissioner for Corrective Services, I initially thought
that, with 77 beds, we would not have enough people to fill those beds. Over
180 women across Western Australia in various correction facilities have put up
their hand and asked to be part of the therapeutic program that will help them
get off their addictions. That is a very, very good thing for Western Australia.
If we can help turn around these people's lives and break that cycle of
addiction, it means that we are helping those people and their families and
reducing the level of crime in Western Australia and that can only be a good
thing.
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