Roebourne Regional Prison Remains Stable
17/06/08
ROEBOURNE REGIONAL PRISON REMAINS STABLE
In November 2006 Roebourne Regional Prison was under great stress. The Inspector recommended that various matters be addressed urgently. The Department responded satisfactorily. Nevertheless, the situation was fragile enough that a short follow-up inspection to check the Department's continuing implementation of its undertakings seemed desirable. These matters are documented in Report 48, released in May 2008.
The findings of this short follow-up inspection were reassuring. Despite the labour market challenges of maintaining a workforce in non-mining activities in the Pilbara, sufficient staff are available most of the time. This has been achieved by the adoption of a fly-in/fly-out model of employment. This strategy has been supplemented by attempts to keep the prisoner population down to reasonable levels – though there has recently been some suggestion that it may be creeping up again.
The greatest source of concern remains that of climate control. A week before we were onsite, the ambient temperature in the yards had reached 52 degrees Celsius. The night-time temperature in the cells did not drop below the high 30s. This is intolerable, and certainly would constitute "cruel and inhuman treatment" in terms of the UN Convention on Torture that the Commonwealth Government has now committed to adopting. The Department constantly claims that Aboriginal prisoners do not want air-conditioning. Our discussions and consultations with the prisoners themselves showed that this view is nonsense, and constitutes an excuse for not outlaying the necessary funds to make the environment tolerable.
The other matter of concern related to DECCA station. This is a training facility some 20 kilometres from the Prison. We had initially been supportive of this effort, but by the 2008 inspection it had been allowed to run down. It showed all the signs of being degraded and recycled accommodation not fit for purpose. Thus, in the Report we have recommended that it should be closed and the training efforts moved back on-site, the funds thus utilized to upgrade what is inherently an adequate Industries block in the prison. The Department rejected this recommendation. Subsequently, the Superintendent informed the Inspector that the problems we had identified had built up during his own absence on leave. He undertook to revitalize the work at DECCA.
A follow-up visit by two Inspectorate officers in May 2008 indicates that acceptable progress is now being made in that regard. This in itself illustrates the utility of external scrutiny as a wake-up call. Regional prisons tend to be somewhat out-of-sight/out-of-mind in
Departmental priorities, as this short saga demonstrates.
Roebourne needs the support and scrutiny of the Inspector's office. The improvements and enhanced regime stability are very much to be welcomed. However, the prison will be kept under regular inspection, with the next inspection no later than late 2009.
Richard Harding
Inspector of Custodial Services
17 June 2008
Professor Harding will be available for comment from 7.00 a.m. Tuesday 17 June can can be
contacted on 0403 387 440. The full Report will be available on the Inspector's website
(www.custodialinspector.wa.gov.au). Download : Roebourne Regional Prison remains stable (PDF)
ROEBOURNE REGIONAL PRISON REMAINS STABLE
In November 2006 Roebourne Regional Prison was under great stress. The Inspector recommended that various matters be addressed urgently. The Department responded satisfactorily. Nevertheless, the situation was fragile enough that a short follow-up inspection to check the Department's continuing implementation of its undertakings seemed desirable. These matters are documented in Report 48, released in May 2008.
The findings of this short follow-up inspection were reassuring. Despite the labour market challenges of maintaining a workforce in non-mining activities in the Pilbara, sufficient staff are available most of the time. This has been achieved by the adoption of a fly-in/fly-out model of employment. This strategy has been supplemented by attempts to keep the prisoner population down to reasonable levels – though there has recently been some suggestion that it may be creeping up again.
The greatest source of concern remains that of climate control. A week before we were onsite, the ambient temperature in the yards had reached 52 degrees Celsius. The night-time temperature in the cells did not drop below the high 30s. This is intolerable, and certainly would constitute "cruel and inhuman treatment" in terms of the UN Convention on Torture that the Commonwealth Government has now committed to adopting. The Department constantly claims that Aboriginal prisoners do not want air-conditioning. Our discussions and consultations with the prisoners themselves showed that this view is nonsense, and constitutes an excuse for not outlaying the necessary funds to make the environment tolerable.
The other matter of concern related to DECCA station. This is a training facility some 20 kilometres from the Prison. We had initially been supportive of this effort, but by the 2008 inspection it had been allowed to run down. It showed all the signs of being degraded and recycled accommodation not fit for purpose. Thus, in the Report we have recommended that it should be closed and the training efforts moved back on-site, the funds thus utilized to upgrade what is inherently an adequate Industries block in the prison. The Department rejected this recommendation. Subsequently, the Superintendent informed the Inspector that the problems we had identified had built up during his own absence on leave. He undertook to revitalize the work at DECCA.
A follow-up visit by two Inspectorate officers in May 2008 indicates that acceptable progress is now being made in that regard. This in itself illustrates the utility of external scrutiny as a wake-up call. Regional prisons tend to be somewhat out-of-sight/out-of-mind in
Departmental priorities, as this short saga demonstrates.
Roebourne needs the support and scrutiny of the Inspector's office. The improvements and enhanced regime stability are very much to be welcomed. However, the prison will be kept under regular inspection, with the next inspection no later than late 2009.
Richard Harding
Inspector of Custodial Services
17 June 2008
Professor Harding will be available for comment from 7.00 a.m. Tuesday 17 June can can be
contacted on 0403 387 440. The full Report will be available on the Inspector's website
(www.custodialinspector.wa.gov.au). Download : Roebourne Regional Prison remains stable (PDF)