❓ Mr. Mubarakai questions the Minister for Corrective Services about overcrowding in prisons, criticising the previous government's handling of the issue. The Minister details investments in new beds, infrastructure upgrades, and rehabilitation programs under the McGowan government.
AnsweredQoN 968Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PRISONS —
OVERCROWDING
968. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I refer to the pressures placed on
our prison system due to the previous Liberal–National government's
failure to address overcrowding. Can the minister outline to the house how the
McGowan government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start
again. If people interject, I cannot hear.
Mr Y. MUBARAKAI : I refer to the pressures placed on
our prison system due to the previous Liberal–National government's
failure to address overcrowding. Can the minister outline to the house how the
McGowan Labor government is investing more into the prison estate; and can the
minister advise the house of the efforts this government is making in fixing
the mess it inherited?
OVERCROWDING
968. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I refer to the pressures placed on
our prison system due to the previous Liberal–National government's
failure to address overcrowding. Can the minister outline to the house how the
McGowan government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start
again. If people interject, I cannot hear.
Mr Y. MUBARAKAI : I refer to the pressures placed on
our prison system due to the previous Liberal–National government's
failure to address overcrowding. Can the minister outline to the house how the
McGowan Labor government is investing more into the prison estate; and can the
minister advise the house of the efforts this government is making in fixing
the mess it inherited?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Jandakot for
that very good question. The member certainly knows about prisons, because
Hakea Prison, the male remand prison; Melaleuca Remand and Reintegration
Facility, a female remand prison; and Banksia Hill Detention Centre, which is a
juvenile facility, are all in his electorate. He certainly knows a fair bit
about the prison estate.
As
members know, I have raised and spoken about in this house on many occasions
the situation I inherited as Minister for Corrective Services in coming to
government. I have been very honest and open about the situation that the
McGowan government and I face. I have always been open about that. I have been
very clear that what we inherited was basically a bandaid solution to the
prison system in Western Australia. I have gone through that at length in this
house before. Our government, because of the dire financial circumstances we
inherited from the previous government, had to do things in a smart and
flexible way to address the problems and critical issues we inherited. For
example, over the last 17 months we have invested in nearly 900 new beds in the
prison system—882 beds into the prison system. As members will
remember, in September last year, 2017, we brought another 221 beds into the
system as a matter of urgency to address the overcrowding that we inherited. If
members remember, we put $2.7 million into Broome Regional Prison, which was an
absolute disgrace. The women who worked in the medical centre in Broome prison
had to watch what they were sitting on; otherwise, they would go through the
floor. The floor was collapsing on them! The treatment of women within Broome
prison was absolutely appalling. We have addressed not only those issues of
infrastructure, but also things like the recreation and kitchen facilities in
Broome. We recommissioned the closed unit that was out the front of Bunbury
Regional Prison. The member for Bunbury remembers that. It was closed for years
and years. We have brought those extra 45 beds on. We reopened the work camps
at Roebourne, Warburton and Wyndham. Why they were closed I still do not know,
but we brought them back on in order to assist with prison overcrowding. We
have invested over $120 million in the key prisons in Western Australia. In
Bunbury, another 160 beds were brought on. The work is underway right now, as
the member for Bunbury knows. That is creating a significant number of jobs in
Bunbury.
Mr J.E. McGrath interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for South
Perth, you will be going away in a minute.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Also, work on
the expansion of Casuarina Prison—four new units at Casuarina—begins
in January. That will be the election commitment delivered on the first male
alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility in Australia, following up what we did
earlier this year when we opened the Wandoo alcohol and drug facility for
women. I will wind up on this: on the basis that we can organise it in a sensible
way, I would encourage members from all sides to have a look at what we are
doing out in Wandoo. It really is quite significant. The feedback —
Mr V.A. Catania : You won't
let us have volunteers, let alone anything else.
The SPEAKER : I will make you
a volunteer, member for North West Central. You can represent the Parliament. I
call you to order at the same time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : On a serious
situation like this, the member should not interject with stupid comments like
that. The changes that are being made in the lives of these women, who have
been victims of sexual and domestic abuse and had turned to drugs, are
absolutely astounding. I congratulate Cyrenian House and all the staff on the
work they are doing. As I say, I urge members in this house to go out and have
a look at what we are doing. These are the changes that only the McGowan
government can make, because all you lot failed completely!
that very good question. The member certainly knows about prisons, because
Hakea Prison, the male remand prison; Melaleuca Remand and Reintegration
Facility, a female remand prison; and Banksia Hill Detention Centre, which is a
juvenile facility, are all in his electorate. He certainly knows a fair bit
about the prison estate.
As
members know, I have raised and spoken about in this house on many occasions
the situation I inherited as Minister for Corrective Services in coming to
government. I have been very honest and open about the situation that the
McGowan government and I face. I have always been open about that. I have been
very clear that what we inherited was basically a bandaid solution to the
prison system in Western Australia. I have gone through that at length in this
house before. Our government, because of the dire financial circumstances we
inherited from the previous government, had to do things in a smart and
flexible way to address the problems and critical issues we inherited. For
example, over the last 17 months we have invested in nearly 900 new beds in the
prison system—882 beds into the prison system. As members will
remember, in September last year, 2017, we brought another 221 beds into the
system as a matter of urgency to address the overcrowding that we inherited. If
members remember, we put $2.7 million into Broome Regional Prison, which was an
absolute disgrace. The women who worked in the medical centre in Broome prison
had to watch what they were sitting on; otherwise, they would go through the
floor. The floor was collapsing on them! The treatment of women within Broome
prison was absolutely appalling. We have addressed not only those issues of
infrastructure, but also things like the recreation and kitchen facilities in
Broome. We recommissioned the closed unit that was out the front of Bunbury
Regional Prison. The member for Bunbury remembers that. It was closed for years
and years. We have brought those extra 45 beds on. We reopened the work camps
at Roebourne, Warburton and Wyndham. Why they were closed I still do not know,
but we brought them back on in order to assist with prison overcrowding. We
have invested over $120 million in the key prisons in Western Australia. In
Bunbury, another 160 beds were brought on. The work is underway right now, as
the member for Bunbury knows. That is creating a significant number of jobs in
Bunbury.
Mr J.E. McGrath interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for South
Perth, you will be going away in a minute.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Also, work on
the expansion of Casuarina Prison—four new units at Casuarina—begins
in January. That will be the election commitment delivered on the first male
alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility in Australia, following up what we did
earlier this year when we opened the Wandoo alcohol and drug facility for
women. I will wind up on this: on the basis that we can organise it in a sensible
way, I would encourage members from all sides to have a look at what we are
doing out in Wandoo. It really is quite significant. The feedback —
Mr V.A. Catania : You won't
let us have volunteers, let alone anything else.
The SPEAKER : I will make you
a volunteer, member for North West Central. You can represent the Parliament. I
call you to order at the same time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : On a serious
situation like this, the member should not interject with stupid comments like
that. The changes that are being made in the lives of these women, who have
been victims of sexual and domestic abuse and had turned to drugs, are
absolutely astounding. I congratulate Cyrenian House and all the staff on the
work they are doing. As I say, I urge members in this house to go out and have
a look at what we are doing. These are the changes that only the McGowan
government can make, because all you lot failed completely!
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