MEDIA RELEASE                                           Embargoed until 12 noon, Tuesday 30th September.

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE AT EASTERN GOLDFIELDS REGIONAL PRISON

The Inspection in February 2008 was the fourth time in just over six years that an inspection had taken place, including an unannounced inspection in 2001 primarily initiated by the overt racism that existed in the prison. It is therefore pleasing to
report that Eastern Goldfields is no longer in any significant way a racist environment, and that it has not only made huge strides in this regard, but there have been significant improvements in other key aspects of the functioning of the prison.

The changed environment in the prison with regard to the treatment of Aboriginal prisoners was recently illustrated in two outstanding ways. In response to the death in custodial transport of a prominent Aboriginal Elder, a group of Elders were brought in for counselling, consultation and discussion with the affected prisoners. The prison also facilitated a large group of prisoners attending the funeral and marked the occasion with a ceremony within the prison for those who were unable to attend.

The second example concerned the "Sorry Day" events of 13th February 2008, when it was recognised that the "Sorry Day" speech should be seen as a communal event for Aboriginal people, not one which they watched locked in isolation in their cells. Accordingly, the prisoners assembled in the kitchen/dining room for a slap up breakfast, served to them by the staff, before the apology itself was televised. Prisoners and staff were demonstrably moved by the proceedings, and it served as a unifying event which epitomised the approach prisons should take to such matters.

The details of the improved performance of Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison inother respects are set out in the body of the Report, and included a range of activities from enhanced services to women, to improved recreation and case management. Importantly there has also been a palpable improvement in the attitude of Officers to work and to the prisoner group. The greatest single disappointment of the inspection was the performance of the Health Service. However, it must be pointed out that this is not the fault of the personnel working in it but rather of the acute under-resourcing of the service.

A major ongoing issue is the well documented need for a new prison in the Goldfields. The arguments in favour of this have been strongly traversed in our Report 30, and in essence it is quite simple. Aboriginal prisoners cope better and show improved rehabilitation results if they serve their sentences "in-country", and this can only be done if a prison capable of accommodating all security ratings, and delivering a full spectrum of offender services, is located in the relevant region.

Barry Cram
Acting Inspector of Custodial Services
26 September 2008

Barry Cram will be available for comment from 12 noon on Tuesday 30th September and can be
contacted on 9212 6200 or 0403 387 441.
The full Report will be available on the Inspector's website (www.custodialinspector.wa.gov.au)