❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses prison officer safety and staffing levels amidst rising prison populations. The Minister acknowledges potential risks but highlights measures taken to mitigate them, including increased staffing and prison expansion projects.
AnsweredQoN 361Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(2) Since 1 January 2000, have there been occasions where prison officers have been placed at increased risk due to officers rostered for a shift being absent on sick leave or for any other reason, and not being replaced? (3) Have there been any occasions where prison officers have been instructed to manage 'as best they can' when there are three or up to seven officers less than the - (a) minimum; or (b) optimum, number of officers rostered for that shift? (4) Have there been any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been subjected to increased workloads and/or responsibilities above what is normally considered to be a safe level? (5) Is it true that undermanning or extreme understaffing, with prison musters at an all time high, has the potential to place prison officers in a position of jeopardy? (6) What steps are the Ministry taking to minimise that risk? Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
10 October 2000
Response time
62 days
(1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
(3) Have there been any occasions where prison officers have been instructed to manage 'as best they can' when there are three or up to seven officers less than the - (a) minimum; or (b) optimum, number of officers rostered for that shift? (4) Have there been any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been subjected to increased workloads and/or responsibilities above what is normally considered to be a safe level? (5) Is it true that undermanning or extreme understaffing, with prison musters at an all time high, has the potential to place prison officers in a position of jeopardy? (6) What steps are the Ministry taking to minimise that risk? Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
(b) optimum, number of officers rostered for that shift?
number of officers rostered for that shift?
(5) Is it true that undermanning or extreme understaffing, with prison musters at an all time high, has the potential to place prison officers in a position of jeopardy? (6) What steps are the Ministry taking to minimise that risk? Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
(6) What steps are the Ministry taking to minimise that risk? Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
(3) Have there been any occasions where prison officers have been instructed to manage 'as best they can' when there are three or up to seven officers less than the - (a) minimum; or (b) optimum, number of officers rostered for that shift? (4) Have there been any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been subjected to increased workloads and/or responsibilities above what is normally considered to be a safe level? (5) Is it true that undermanning or extreme understaffing, with prison musters at an all time high, has the potential to place prison officers in a position of jeopardy? (6) What steps are the Ministry taking to minimise that risk? Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
(b) optimum, number of officers rostered for that shift?
number of officers rostered for that shift?
(5) Is it true that undermanning or extreme understaffing, with prison musters at an all time high, has the potential to place prison officers in a position of jeopardy? (6) What steps are the Ministry taking to minimise that risk? Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
(6) What steps are the Ministry taking to minimise that risk? Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
Answered on 10 October 2000 The Minister Replied: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Prison Officers are required to undertake their duties to the best of their abilities at all times. If there are vacancies on a shift roster, Senior Prison Officers, in consultation with the Prison Administration determine what action must be taken in order to ensure the safe and secure operation of the prison is not compromised. (4) I am not aware of any occasions since 1 January 2000 where prison officers have been put at risk through increased workloads and/or responsibilities. (5) Any understaffing in a prison system has the potential to increase the risk to prison officers. The Ministry of Justice has matched the increase in prison musters with increases in staffing. While the prison muster has increased by nearly 32% from 1997/98 to 1999/2000, the number of serious assaults within prisons (including offender on offender and offender on staff) has fallen by 30%. (6) The most significant steps being taken by the Government and the Ministry of Justice to reduce the pressures on the prison system due to the increase in the number of prisoners are: · the commissioning of the new 750 bed privately operated Acacia Prison due to open in early 2001; · the construction of additional accomodation units at Hakea (144 beds) and Karnet (48 beds); · the $14.8M redevelopment of the Bandyup Women's Prison which will provide 82 additional beds; · the efforts being made to redevelop part of the Pyrton site in Bassendean as a 50 bed minimum security women's prison.
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