A WA parliamentary question regarding prisoner numbers and sleeping arrangements in regional prisons. The Minister provides current prisoner numbers but deflects on capacity and bed type definitions.

AnsweredQoN 791Legislative Council
Asked
19 August 2009
Portfolio
Corrective Services

QuestionView source ↗

regional prisons — PRISONER NUMBERS
I refer to conditions in regional prisons across Western Australia. (1) What are the current prisoner numbers and recommended capacities for the following prisons — (a) Broome; (b) Roebourne; (c) Greenough; (d) Eastern goldfields; (e) Bunbury; and (f) Albany? (2) Are prisoners in any of these prisons sleeping on mattresses on cell floors? (3) If so, how many prisoners are not sleeping on normal standard prison beds? Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises — (1) The term “recommended capacity” is not a term recognised or used by the Department of Corrective Services in calculating capacities of prison infrastructure. Rather, prison infrastructure is presently assessed on the basis of consideration of original design capacity and present modified capacity. If that is what the member requires, we will retrieve that data pursuant to a separate question confirming that this is the information sought. Prisoner numbers as at 19 August 2009 are Broome, 89; Roebourne, 181; Greenough, 259; Eastern goldfields, 108; Bunbury, 321; and Albany, 275. (2) Yes. (3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.
(1) What are the current prisoner numbers and recommended capacities for the following prisons — (a) Broome; (b) Roebourne; (c) Greenough; (d) Eastern goldfields; (e) Bunbury; and (f) Albany? (2) Are prisoners in any of these prisons sleeping on mattresses on cell floors? (3) If so, how many prisoners are not sleeping on normal standard prison beds? Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises — (1) The term “recommended capacity” is not a term recognised or used by the Department of Corrective Services in calculating capacities of prison infrastructure. Rather, prison infrastructure is presently assessed on the basis of consideration of original design capacity and present modified capacity. If that is what the member requires, we will retrieve that data pursuant to a separate question confirming that this is the information sought. Prisoner numbers as at 19 August 2009 are Broome, 89; Roebourne, 181; Greenough, 259; Eastern goldfields, 108; Bunbury, 321; and Albany, 275. (2) Yes. (3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.
(b) Roebourne; (c) Greenough; (d) Eastern goldfields; (e) Bunbury; and (f) Albany?
(c) Greenough; (d) Eastern goldfields; (e) Bunbury; and (f) Albany?
(d) Eastern goldfields; (e) Bunbury; and (f) Albany?
(e) Bunbury; and (f) Albany?
(f) Albany?
(3) If so, how many prisoners are not sleeping on normal standard prison beds? Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises — (1) The term “recommended capacity” is not a term recognised or used by the Department of Corrective Services in calculating capacities of prison infrastructure. Rather, prison infrastructure is presently assessed on the basis of consideration of original design capacity and present modified capacity. If that is what the member requires, we will retrieve that data pursuant to a separate question confirming that this is the information sought. Prisoner numbers as at 19 August 2009 are Broome, 89; Roebourne, 181; Greenough, 259; Eastern goldfields, 108; Bunbury, 321; and Albany, 275. (2) Yes. (3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.
Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises — (1) The term “recommended capacity” is not a term recognised or used by the Department of Corrective Services in calculating capacities of prison infrastructure. Rather, prison infrastructure is presently assessed on the basis of consideration of original design capacity and present modified capacity. If that is what the member requires, we will retrieve that data pursuant to a separate question confirming that this is the information sought. Prisoner numbers as at 19 August 2009 are Broome, 89; Roebourne, 181; Greenough, 259; Eastern goldfields, 108; Bunbury, 321; and Albany, 275. (2) Yes. (3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises — (1) The term “recommended capacity” is not a term recognised or used by the Department of Corrective Services in calculating capacities of prison infrastructure. Rather, prison infrastructure is presently assessed on the basis of consideration of original design capacity and present modified capacity. If that is what the member requires, we will retrieve that data pursuant to a separate question confirming that this is the information sought. Prisoner numbers as at 19 August 2009 are Broome, 89; Roebourne, 181; Greenough, 259; Eastern goldfields, 108; Bunbury, 321; and Albany, 275. (2) Yes. (3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.
(1) The term “recommended capacity” is not a term recognised or used by the Department of Corrective Services in calculating capacities of prison infrastructure. Rather, prison infrastructure is presently assessed on the basis of consideration of original design capacity and present modified capacity. If that is what the member requires, we will retrieve that data pursuant to a separate question confirming that this is the information sought. Prisoner numbers as at 19 August 2009 are Broome, 89; Roebourne, 181; Greenough, 259; Eastern goldfields, 108; Bunbury, 321; and Albany, 275. (2) Yes. (3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.
(2) Yes. (3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.
(3) The term “normal standard prison bed” is not a term used by the Department of Corrective Services for the purposes of categorising or counting prison bed types, which can be of a wide variety. For instance, the prison beds in service at Bungarun work camp are of a very different type from those in use at Acacia, and while some people in Perth may not view these beds as necessarily normal, each might be described as a standard prison bed.

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