The Office is required by the Inspector of Custodial Services Act (2003) to inspect each prison, detention centre, court custody centre and prescribed lock up in Western Australia at least once every three years. The Inspector has autonomous authority to decide which facilities to inspect and in what order. However, the Act (2003) provides that the responsible Minister may direct the Inspector to conduct an inspection or review of a custodial service.

Full Inspection is a routine inspection conducted according to the legislative requirement for each custodial facility or service to be inspected at least once every three years.  These inspections are scheduled according to the required three year cycle.  Such inspections follow the standard planning and procedures developed by the Office and contained in its Inspection Manual for Inspection and Research Officers.

Unannounced and short follow-up inspections occur outside of the routine three year cycle required by our legislation.  They are typically reserved for custodial places where there may have been a critical event that requires the Inspector to exercise his powers and functions in the public interest.  These inspections may also occur when the inspector receives information over a period of time that suggests that the performance of a prison has deteriorated to such an extent that the treatment and conditions for prisoners are being compromised.  This information may come from a variety of sources, such as liaison visit notes and Independent Visitor reports.

Each custodial facility or services that falls within the jurisdiction of the Office is allocated a Inspection and Research Officer to act as a liaison officer between the office and the facility or provider.  This designated liaison officer is responsible for developing an ongoing relationship with the facility and a knowledge of its operations and progress against previous inspection reports.  A key aspect of undertaking this task is to conduct a minimum number of on-site liaison visits to their designated facilities each financial year.  The number of visits required is determined by the assessed level of risk that the facility poses and encompasses such factors as size, security level, and previous inspection findings and assessments.  At a minimum each facility is subject to at least four liaison visits per year. 

Download the Code of Inspection Standards or the Inspection Standards for Aboriginal Prisoners or the Inspection Schedule