Prison Pressure Cooker Blows in West Kimberley

A prison built to deliver culturally informed rehabilitation has been allowed to deteriorate into an overcrowded, understaffed pressure cooker by the Cook Labor Government, and over the weekend, it blew.

On the weekend, inmates at West Kimberley Regional Prison in Derby broke out of their cells, with reports of widespread property damage and emergency reinforcements needing to be flown in to assist.

This comes just weeks after reports of an alleged attempted hostage situation and riot at Greenough Regional Prison, alongside the Inspector of Custodial Services issuing a show cause notice over inhumane conditions at Hakea, another clear sign the entire system is buckling under pressure.

Shadow Corrective Services Minister Adam Hort said Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia had allowed the situation to spiral.

“This is what happens when you ignore every flashing warning light,” Mr Hort said.

“West Kimberley was supposed to give Kimberley prisoners a chance at rehabilitation on country.

Now it’s overcrowded, crumbling, and on the edge of collapse.

“This is Minister Papalia’s idea of justice, cram prisoners in until they snap, then put them back in your neighbourhood more dangerous than before.”

The West Kimberley Regional Prison is currently allocated to hold 231 inmates but is now operating

over capacity, with 252 prisoners crammed in. On 6 June, 37 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor.

Despite an allocation for 154 officers, only 131 were on-site as of late April, lower than staffing levels six years ago.

Staffing shortages across Western Australia is leaving prisoners locked down for extended periods,

with minimal access to rehabilitative programs.

Mr Hort said the system was no longer functioning as intended.

“This isn’t just a failure of infrastructure, it’s a collapse in purpose,” he said.

“Prisons are meant to be secure, controlled and rehabilitative. When you overcrowd prisons, you don’t just lose control, you make things worse.

“This doesn’t fix people, it breaks them. Minister Papalia doesn’t have a solution and he barely admits there’s a problem.

“Our prison officers are doing a great job in an incredibly tough environment. They’re being asked

to hold together a system that the State Government has allowed to fall apart.”

ENDS

Media contact: Hayden Tognela – 0467 044 028