❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding conditions at Roebourne Regional Prison, referencing concerns about hygiene, health, and adherence to the Nelson Mandela Rules. The Minister's response highlights improvements and compliance efforts.
AnsweredQoN 512Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ROEBOURNE REGIONAL PRISON
— CONDITIONS
512. Hon ALISON XAMON to the minister representing the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I ask this question on behalf of Hon
Robin Chapple, who is on urgent parliamentary business.
I refer to the Office of the
Inspector of Custodial Services' report ''2019 Inspection of
Roebourne Regional Prison'' and to the ABC article ''WA's
Roebourne prison 'infested' with snakes and rats, report finds,
and prisoner health at risk'',
published 15 May 2020, and the United Nations' ''Standard
Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners'', also known as ''The
Nelson Mandela Rules''.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the conditions at Roebourne Regional Prison are in defiance
of conditions prescribed by Nelson Mandela Rules 13, 19, 35, 42 and 58.1(a)?
(2) Can the minister offer any justification for women
being ineligible for offender programs at Roebourne Regional Prison?
(3) Given that
Nelson Mandela Rule 35.1 outlines the responsibilities of the prison director
vis-a-vis recommendations, can the minister explain why recommendations from
the 2016 report were not fully implemented by the time of the 2019 inspection?
(4) As rule 10 of
The Nelson Mandela Rules states ''All accommodation provided for the use
of prisoners � shall meet all requirements of health, due regard being paid to
climatic conditions'', can the minister please explain why this does not
apply to Roebourne Regional Prison?
— CONDITIONS
512. Hon ALISON XAMON to the minister representing the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I ask this question on behalf of Hon
Robin Chapple, who is on urgent parliamentary business.
I refer to the Office of the
Inspector of Custodial Services' report ''2019 Inspection of
Roebourne Regional Prison'' and to the ABC article ''WA's
Roebourne prison 'infested' with snakes and rats, report finds,
and prisoner health at risk'',
published 15 May 2020, and the United Nations' ''Standard
Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners'', also known as ''The
Nelson Mandela Rules''.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the conditions at Roebourne Regional Prison are in defiance
of conditions prescribed by Nelson Mandela Rules 13, 19, 35, 42 and 58.1(a)?
(2) Can the minister offer any justification for women
being ineligible for offender programs at Roebourne Regional Prison?
(3) Given that
Nelson Mandela Rule 35.1 outlines the responsibilities of the prison director
vis-a-vis recommendations, can the minister explain why recommendations from
the 2016 report were not fully implemented by the time of the 2019 inspection?
(4) As rule 10 of
The Nelson Mandela Rules states ''All accommodation provided for the use
of prisoners � shall meet all requirements of health, due regard being paid to
climatic conditions'', can the minister please explain why this does not
apply to Roebourne Regional Prison?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some
notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister
for Corrective Services.
(1)–(4) The answer has been
provided in tabular form, so I seek leave to have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following material was
incorporated —
QUESTION
ANSWER
(1)
The
2019 Inspection of Roebourne Regional Prison acknowledges the improvement
made at Roebourne since its last inspection in 2016 and credits much of this
to the stable management team and staff. In particular, it is noted that:
� Prisoner's
opinion of food quality and quantity had improved dramatically since the last
report with 54% rating the quality as good and 49% rated the quantity
as good. This puts Roebourne slightly ahead of the state average for
quality and equal for quantity.
� Each
prisoner is issued 4 complete sets of clothing including shorts, shirts,
recreation singlets and underwear . These
items are laundered in an industrial laundry each week day and bedding is
mandatorily collected and washed once per week. Pillows and Mattresses are
replaced on a six monthly basis.
� All
prisoners at Roebourne are entitled to send unlimited written letters for
free and an additional seven prisoner telephones
have been installed.
� Overall there are 16 prisoner
telephones located throughout the prison. Skype visits have been available
since April 2020 and offered through a booking system daily.
� In the previous 11 years there
have been no incidents of a snake being discovered or reported in a cell.
Staff are trained snake catchers, as wildlife, including snakes, are evident
throughout the Pilbara region. Reptiles are no more prevalent in the prison
as they are in any other residence in this area.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 13 – All accommodation provided for the use of
prisoners and in particular all sleeping accommodation shall meet all
requirements of health, due regard being paid to climatic conditions and
particularly to cubic content of air, minimum floor space, lighting, heating
and ventilation .
All
cells contain floor to ceiling windows to maximise natural air flow, high
insulated ceilings, ceiling fans, inner and outer verandas to limit sun and
allow airflow. Multi cells are dormitory styled large cells.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 19 –
1.
Every prisoner who is not allowed to wear his or her own clothing shall be
provided with an outfit of clothing suitable for the climate and adequate to
keep him or her in good health. Such clothing shall in no manner be degrading
or humiliating.
2.
All clothing shall be clean and kept in proper condition. Underclothing shall
be changed and washed as often as necessary for the maintenance of hygiene.
3.
In exceptional circumstances, whenever a prisoner is removed outside the
prison for an authorized purpose, he or she shall be allowed to wear his or
her own clothing or other inconspicuous clothing.
Each
prisoner is issued 4 complete sets of clothing including shorts, shirts,
recreation singlets and underwear. They are able to have these items
laundered in an industrial laundry Monday – Friday. Bedding is
mandatorily collected and washed once per week. Pillow and Mattresses are
replaced on a 6 monthly basis.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 35 – 1. The physician or competent public health body
shall regularly inspect and advise the prison director on:
(a)
The quantity, quality, preparation and service of food;
(b)
The hygiene and cleanliness of the institution and the prisoners;
(c)
The sanitation, temperature, lighting and ventilation of the prison;
(d)
The suitability and cleanliness of the prisoners' clothing and
bedding;
(e)
The observance of the rules concerning physical education and sports, in
cases where there is no technical personnel in charge of these activities.
In
WA, The Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services, preforms structured,
regular reviews to ensure the wellbeing of prisoners in the state custodial
services.
Nelson Mandela Rule 42 – General living
conditions addressed in these rules, including those related to light,
ventilation , temperature,
sanitation, nutrition, drinking water, access to open air and physical
exercise, personal hygiene, health care and adequate personal space, shall
apply to all prisoners without exception .
Prisoners have access to renovated dayrooms that
include, fridges, freezers, chilled water fountains. Industrial ice machines are installed throughout the prison.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 58 1 (a) – Prisoners shall be allowed, under
necessary supervision, to communicate with their family and friends at
regular intervals:
(a)
By corresponding in writing and using, where available, telecommunication,
electronic, digital and other means;
All
prisoners at Roebourne are entitled to send unlimited written letters for
free.
An
additional 7 Prisoner telephones (PTS) have been installed. There are 16 PTS
located throughout the prison. Skype visits have been installed since April
and offered through a booking system daily.
(2)
Female
Prisoners are eligible for offender programmes at Roebourne. There are
currently 10 sentenced females at Roebourne of which 3 have been assessed as
requiring criminogenic treatment programs. This program is facilitated in a group work format (10 participants), and is
facilitated at Bandyup, and Boronia. The next program will be scheduled prior to 30 June 2020.
(3)
The
Department completed a review of its programs in February 2020 and is
implementing the recommendations. This will include exploring options to
deliver effective interventions to prisoners in regional areas via remote
delivery.
Following
the inspection, the Department has:
� transferred
a Senior Program Officer to Roebourne, increasing Offender Program staff, available
for program facilitation and treatment
assessments. One of these Senior Program Officers identifies as Aboriginal,
providing responsive assessment and treatment to Aboriginal offenders at
Roebourne.
� contracted
an NGO to provide Family Domestic Violence programs at regional prisons,
including Roebourne.
(4)
A
number of effective controls to manage the heat risk have been implemented at
Roebourne. These include:
� All cells contain floor to
ceiling windows to maximise natural air flow, high insulated ceilings,
ceiling fans, inner and outer verandas to limit sun and allow airflow. Multi
cells are dormitory styled large cells.
� A number of areas of the prison
are air-conditioned (recreation hall, library, education centre) and
prisoners rotate through for various activities. Prisoners are not locked in
cells during the day and are free to shower or use water in the recreation
areas.
� Transition cells
(air-conditioned) used for workers who are engaged in full day outdoor
physical activities for project work.
� The installation of additional
shaded external dining areas in Wings 1 & 2.
� Air-conditioned cells used as
required for medical conditions as directed by the medical centre.
� Flexible routines which are
adjusted to heat conditions.
� Prisoners have access to renovated
dayrooms that include, fridges, freezers, chilled water fountains. Industrial
ice machines are installed throughout the prison: and
� Preference is given to retaining
prisoners who are from and are acclimatised to the local conditions of the region.
Prisoners who are not from the region are prioritised for transfer.
notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister
for Corrective Services.
(1)–(4) The answer has been
provided in tabular form, so I seek leave to have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following material was
incorporated —
QUESTION
ANSWER
(1)
The
2019 Inspection of Roebourne Regional Prison acknowledges the improvement
made at Roebourne since its last inspection in 2016 and credits much of this
to the stable management team and staff. In particular, it is noted that:
� Prisoner's
opinion of food quality and quantity had improved dramatically since the last
report with 54% rating the quality as good and 49% rated the quantity
as good. This puts Roebourne slightly ahead of the state average for
quality and equal for quantity.
� Each
prisoner is issued 4 complete sets of clothing including shorts, shirts,
recreation singlets and underwear . These
items are laundered in an industrial laundry each week day and bedding is
mandatorily collected and washed once per week. Pillows and Mattresses are
replaced on a six monthly basis.
� All
prisoners at Roebourne are entitled to send unlimited written letters for
free and an additional seven prisoner telephones
have been installed.
� Overall there are 16 prisoner
telephones located throughout the prison. Skype visits have been available
since April 2020 and offered through a booking system daily.
� In the previous 11 years there
have been no incidents of a snake being discovered or reported in a cell.
Staff are trained snake catchers, as wildlife, including snakes, are evident
throughout the Pilbara region. Reptiles are no more prevalent in the prison
as they are in any other residence in this area.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 13 – All accommodation provided for the use of
prisoners and in particular all sleeping accommodation shall meet all
requirements of health, due regard being paid to climatic conditions and
particularly to cubic content of air, minimum floor space, lighting, heating
and ventilation .
All
cells contain floor to ceiling windows to maximise natural air flow, high
insulated ceilings, ceiling fans, inner and outer verandas to limit sun and
allow airflow. Multi cells are dormitory styled large cells.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 19 –
1.
Every prisoner who is not allowed to wear his or her own clothing shall be
provided with an outfit of clothing suitable for the climate and adequate to
keep him or her in good health. Such clothing shall in no manner be degrading
or humiliating.
2.
All clothing shall be clean and kept in proper condition. Underclothing shall
be changed and washed as often as necessary for the maintenance of hygiene.
3.
In exceptional circumstances, whenever a prisoner is removed outside the
prison for an authorized purpose, he or she shall be allowed to wear his or
her own clothing or other inconspicuous clothing.
Each
prisoner is issued 4 complete sets of clothing including shorts, shirts,
recreation singlets and underwear. They are able to have these items
laundered in an industrial laundry Monday – Friday. Bedding is
mandatorily collected and washed once per week. Pillow and Mattresses are
replaced on a 6 monthly basis.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 35 – 1. The physician or competent public health body
shall regularly inspect and advise the prison director on:
(a)
The quantity, quality, preparation and service of food;
(b)
The hygiene and cleanliness of the institution and the prisoners;
(c)
The sanitation, temperature, lighting and ventilation of the prison;
(d)
The suitability and cleanliness of the prisoners' clothing and
bedding;
(e)
The observance of the rules concerning physical education and sports, in
cases where there is no technical personnel in charge of these activities.
In
WA, The Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services, preforms structured,
regular reviews to ensure the wellbeing of prisoners in the state custodial
services.
Nelson Mandela Rule 42 – General living
conditions addressed in these rules, including those related to light,
ventilation , temperature,
sanitation, nutrition, drinking water, access to open air and physical
exercise, personal hygiene, health care and adequate personal space, shall
apply to all prisoners without exception .
Prisoners have access to renovated dayrooms that
include, fridges, freezers, chilled water fountains. Industrial ice machines are installed throughout the prison.
Nelson
Mandela Rule 58 1 (a) – Prisoners shall be allowed, under
necessary supervision, to communicate with their family and friends at
regular intervals:
(a)
By corresponding in writing and using, where available, telecommunication,
electronic, digital and other means;
All
prisoners at Roebourne are entitled to send unlimited written letters for
free.
An
additional 7 Prisoner telephones (PTS) have been installed. There are 16 PTS
located throughout the prison. Skype visits have been installed since April
and offered through a booking system daily.
(2)
Female
Prisoners are eligible for offender programmes at Roebourne. There are
currently 10 sentenced females at Roebourne of which 3 have been assessed as
requiring criminogenic treatment programs. This program is facilitated in a group work format (10 participants), and is
facilitated at Bandyup, and Boronia. The next program will be scheduled prior to 30 June 2020.
(3)
The
Department completed a review of its programs in February 2020 and is
implementing the recommendations. This will include exploring options to
deliver effective interventions to prisoners in regional areas via remote
delivery.
Following
the inspection, the Department has:
� transferred
a Senior Program Officer to Roebourne, increasing Offender Program staff, available
for program facilitation and treatment
assessments. One of these Senior Program Officers identifies as Aboriginal,
providing responsive assessment and treatment to Aboriginal offenders at
Roebourne.
� contracted
an NGO to provide Family Domestic Violence programs at regional prisons,
including Roebourne.
(4)
A
number of effective controls to manage the heat risk have been implemented at
Roebourne. These include:
� All cells contain floor to
ceiling windows to maximise natural air flow, high insulated ceilings,
ceiling fans, inner and outer verandas to limit sun and allow airflow. Multi
cells are dormitory styled large cells.
� A number of areas of the prison
are air-conditioned (recreation hall, library, education centre) and
prisoners rotate through for various activities. Prisoners are not locked in
cells during the day and are free to shower or use water in the recreation
areas.
� Transition cells
(air-conditioned) used for workers who are engaged in full day outdoor
physical activities for project work.
� The installation of additional
shaded external dining areas in Wings 1 & 2.
� Air-conditioned cells used as
required for medical conditions as directed by the medical centre.
� Flexible routines which are
adjusted to heat conditions.
� Prisoners have access to renovated
dayrooms that include, fridges, freezers, chilled water fountains. Industrial
ice machines are installed throughout the prison: and
� Preference is given to retaining
prisoners who are from and are acclimatised to the local conditions of the region.
Prisoners who are not from the region are prioritised for transfer.
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