Criminals Walk Free for Christmas

Media Release | 14 December 2025

Adam Hort MLA
Shadow Minister for Police; Corrective Services; Youth

The early release of criminals from Western Australian prisons due to overcrowding is placing the community at unacceptable risk.

Shadow Corrective Services Minister Adam Hort said revelations in The Sunday Times that chronic overcrowding was forcing the early release of dangerous offenders confirmed the Cook Labor Government had completely lost control of the prison system.

“Drug traffickers, violent offenders and paedophiles have already benefited from reduced sentences because of the state of our prisons,” Mr Hort said.

“Now we find out that criminals are being let out early for Christmas, because the prison system has been so badly mismanaged by this Labor government.

“Seeing criminals released early because the system has collapsed is an outrageous injustice to victims of crime. The Minister should hang his head in shame.”

This alarming development was brought to light after the Department of Justice confirmed it is using provisions in the Prisons Act to discharge prisoners up to 30 days before their sentence ends.

Comments by Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce that early release was being used to manage pressure on prison facilities were a blunt admission that the system has reached breaking point.

“We have gone beyond the point of extra mattresses on the floor or more lockdowns,” Mr Hort said.

“The system is now so broken that criminals are being released early, and that should alarm every Western Australian.

“The Minister has clearly failed to secure the funding our prison system desperately needs, showing he’s either voiceless around the Cabinet table or the Treasurer is more interested in pet projects than community safety.”

The situation follows years of warnings from the independent Inspector of Custodial Services, ongoing overcrowding across WA prisons, and repeated failures by the Government to act on crisis findings and safety concerns raised by prison officers.
‍

Media contact: Hayden Tognela – 0467 044 028