❓ Mr. Logan questions prisoner security classification processes. The Minister provides a detailed explanation of the assessment system, checks, and balances in place, including differences for short and long sentences and the role of assessment officers and TOMS.
AnsweredQoN 6294Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How is a prisoner assessed to determine their security classification level and therefore which prison will suit their security requirements?
(2) Who assesses a prisoner to determine their security classification level?
(3) What checks and balances are in place to ensure that a prisoner is classified correctly?
(4) What is the total assessment process (including psychiatric and medical reviews) to determine the security classification of a prisoner?
(5) How does an Individual Management Plan for a prisoner with a sentence over six months differ from an assessment for a prisoner that is incarcerated for less than six months?
(6) Does this process differ for privately run prisons and publically run prisons and if so, how?
(7) What is the process of assessment for a prisoner deemed suitable for a work camp?
(2) Who assesses a prisoner to determine their security classification level?
(3) What checks and balances are in place to ensure that a prisoner is classified correctly?
(4) What is the total assessment process (including psychiatric and medical reviews) to determine the security classification of a prisoner?
(5) How does an Individual Management Plan for a prisoner with a sentence over six months differ from an assessment for a prisoner that is incarcerated for less than six months?
(6) Does this process differ for privately run prisons and publically run prisons and if so, how?
(7) What is the process of assessment for a prisoner deemed suitable for a work camp?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
22 November 2011
Responded by
Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
35 days
(1) All prisoners within Western Australia are assessed using the Department of Corrective Services' (the Department) approved assessment system. The Department's Adult Custodial Rule (ACR) 18 relates to the Assessment and Sentence Management of prisoners in Western Australia and provides clearly defined and consistent procedures for the initial and ongoing assessment and sentence management of prisoners within the Western Australia prison system at both public and private facilities. Where practicable, prisoners are placed as close as possible to family, friends and/or significant others in order to promote family, community and social support. It may however be required that they be placed outside of this to facilitate the determined security ratings, health or medical issues or to enable access to programs or other facilities or services such as legal or counselling requirements.
(2) Assessment officers within each facility complete documentation within the Assessment and Case Management system that advise a prisoner's security rating.
(3) Each document completed by an Assessment officer is reviewed by a senior assessment staff member whose responsibilities include the quality control and review of such documentation. Further, the approving authority for each document reviews and approves the document which results in the change or re-confirmation of a prisoner's security rating. There is provision for a prisoner to appeal the decision and the appeal is considered by the next highest level of authority above the initial approving authority.
(4)-(5) Different processes occur for sentenced prisoners depending on the length and type of sentence they are given by the Court.
When a prisoner is received into a prison within Western Australia they are automatically classified by the Department's Total Offender Management Solution system (TOMS) at the highest security rating available at that receiving prison. In all cases this is Maximum Security. Prisons that can not facilitate maximum security do not currently receive prisoners direct from the community, court or Police.
Within five working days from receival at a prison, all prisoners are to have a Management and Placement - Sentenced (MAP-S) checklist completed to determine their security rating. This checklist contains questions that relate to a number of static and dynamic factors such as age, nature of offending (alleged and historical), length of sentence, behaviour whilst in custody and any history of escapes. Some questions have scoring allocated to the response options, which advise the recommended security rating for the individual concerned.
The MAP-S checklist contains questions relating to the prisoner's medical and psychological health. Assessment staff answer these questions by reviewing the prisoner's medical and "at risk" alerts on TOMS, any related information from available Pre Sentence Reports or Judge's Sentencing Remarks including psychological/psychiatric reports where available, previous assessment documentation relating to other periods of incarceration where applicable, through discussion with the prisoner and where necessary confirmation with medical or psychological staff. Other information that may be utilised during the overall assessment process includes the prisoner's criminal history, information available on TOMS and within the Assessment Case Management system including alerts, "at risk" status (self harm), incident reports, previous program participation and previous stay assessment documentation.
Where a prisoner's minimum period in custody (time to earliest potential date of release either to parole or freedom which ever is first) is six months or less, they will have their security rating and placement determined through the use of a MAP - S checklist. Where a prisoner's minimum period in custody is greater than 6 months they will generally have an Individual Management Plan (IMP) prepared. Supporting documentation to the IMP includes the MAP - S checklist which informs the security rating; treatment assessments (substance use, violence, sex offending and cognitive skills as applicable to their current offences) which determine program participation requirements; an education assessment that advises on the level of education achieved and any courses or vocational training the prisoner is recommended to participate in; and a Case Conference report which details more specific detailed information regarding the prisoner's history, current offending and circumstances.
The IMP is a document that is given to the prisoner and informs their security rating, placement, current behaviour, outstanding court, visit restrictions, special need referrals such as counselling, family/community/social contact issues, program requirements, future IMP review dates and anticipated security ratings at those future reviews. This document is considered to be a dynamic document that should respond to a change of circumstance and as such is reviewed regularly, generally on a six monthly basis unless the prisoner is more than three years from their earliest potential release date (either to parole or freedom) at which time it is reviewed annually.
The approval of a MAP-S checklist, which activates the advised security rating, is delegated to the Superintendent or relevant Assistant Superintendent at the facility. All IMPs are Case Conferenced (considered by at least three Case Conference members), the process for this is defined in ACR 18 and as for the MAP-S checklist the approval of the IMP and therefore the confirmation of the resultant security rating is undertaken by the Superintendent or relevant Assistant Superintendent at the facility. This process is the same for both public and private facilities.
(6) There is no difference to the assessment process required for prisoners regardless of where they are placed.
(7) A prisoner's eligibility for work camp placement is assessed using a two-tiered approval process. This commences with the unit manager making a recommendation for work camp placement, with the respective Superintendent or their delegate making the final decision on the prisoner's suitability.
Final approval of work camp placement is based on information provided from a number of staff involved in the management of the prisoner, including unit staff and staff supervising prisoners during their working day.
A range of factors are taken into consideration to ensure that the prisoner's placement at a work camp is low risk. This includes an assessment of the offender's prison based behaviour, work reports, health and medical needs, potential victim issues and program needs consistent with the their Individual Management Plan.
Consideration is also given to the prisoner's prior criminal record, for example, any history of Escape Legal Custody.
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(2) Assessment officers within each facility complete documentation within the Assessment and Case Management system that advise a prisoner's security rating.
(3) Each document completed by an Assessment officer is reviewed by a senior assessment staff member whose responsibilities include the quality control and review of such documentation. Further, the approving authority for each document reviews and approves the document which results in the change or re-confirmation of a prisoner's security rating. There is provision for a prisoner to appeal the decision and the appeal is considered by the next highest level of authority above the initial approving authority.
(4)-(5) Different processes occur for sentenced prisoners depending on the length and type of sentence they are given by the Court.
When a prisoner is received into a prison within Western Australia they are automatically classified by the Department's Total Offender Management Solution system (TOMS) at the highest security rating available at that receiving prison. In all cases this is Maximum Security. Prisons that can not facilitate maximum security do not currently receive prisoners direct from the community, court or Police.
Within five working days from receival at a prison, all prisoners are to have a Management and Placement - Sentenced (MAP-S) checklist completed to determine their security rating. This checklist contains questions that relate to a number of static and dynamic factors such as age, nature of offending (alleged and historical), length of sentence, behaviour whilst in custody and any history of escapes. Some questions have scoring allocated to the response options, which advise the recommended security rating for the individual concerned.
The MAP-S checklist contains questions relating to the prisoner's medical and psychological health. Assessment staff answer these questions by reviewing the prisoner's medical and "at risk" alerts on TOMS, any related information from available Pre Sentence Reports or Judge's Sentencing Remarks including psychological/psychiatric reports where available, previous assessment documentation relating to other periods of incarceration where applicable, through discussion with the prisoner and where necessary confirmation with medical or psychological staff. Other information that may be utilised during the overall assessment process includes the prisoner's criminal history, information available on TOMS and within the Assessment Case Management system including alerts, "at risk" status (self harm), incident reports, previous program participation and previous stay assessment documentation.
Where a prisoner's minimum period in custody (time to earliest potential date of release either to parole or freedom which ever is first) is six months or less, they will have their security rating and placement determined through the use of a MAP - S checklist. Where a prisoner's minimum period in custody is greater than 6 months they will generally have an Individual Management Plan (IMP) prepared. Supporting documentation to the IMP includes the MAP - S checklist which informs the security rating; treatment assessments (substance use, violence, sex offending and cognitive skills as applicable to their current offences) which determine program participation requirements; an education assessment that advises on the level of education achieved and any courses or vocational training the prisoner is recommended to participate in; and a Case Conference report which details more specific detailed information regarding the prisoner's history, current offending and circumstances.
The IMP is a document that is given to the prisoner and informs their security rating, placement, current behaviour, outstanding court, visit restrictions, special need referrals such as counselling, family/community/social contact issues, program requirements, future IMP review dates and anticipated security ratings at those future reviews. This document is considered to be a dynamic document that should respond to a change of circumstance and as such is reviewed regularly, generally on a six monthly basis unless the prisoner is more than three years from their earliest potential release date (either to parole or freedom) at which time it is reviewed annually.
The approval of a MAP-S checklist, which activates the advised security rating, is delegated to the Superintendent or relevant Assistant Superintendent at the facility. All IMPs are Case Conferenced (considered by at least three Case Conference members), the process for this is defined in ACR 18 and as for the MAP-S checklist the approval of the IMP and therefore the confirmation of the resultant security rating is undertaken by the Superintendent or relevant Assistant Superintendent at the facility. This process is the same for both public and private facilities.
(6) There is no difference to the assessment process required for prisoners regardless of where they are placed.
(7) A prisoner's eligibility for work camp placement is assessed using a two-tiered approval process. This commences with the unit manager making a recommendation for work camp placement, with the respective Superintendent or their delegate making the final decision on the prisoner's suitability.
Final approval of work camp placement is based on information provided from a number of staff involved in the management of the prisoner, including unit staff and staff supervising prisoners during their working day.
A range of factors are taken into consideration to ensure that the prisoner's placement at a work camp is low risk. This includes an assessment of the offender's prison based behaviour, work reports, health and medical needs, potential victim issues and program needs consistent with the their Individual Management Plan.
Consideration is also given to the prisoner's prior criminal record, for example, any history of Escape Legal Custody.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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