Background
Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison (EGRP) is a 350-bed facility commissioned in 2016 to allow prisoners from the Goldfields region to be accommodated on country, close to their families and community. It would seek to address issues including overcrowding in metropolitan prisons, high rates of recidivism in the Goldfields region, the continued overrepresentation of Aboriginal people, …
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Key findings
Complex governance and staffing challenges limit the prison’s potential Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison (EGRP) remained modern, well maintained, and secure, yet it was not fully utilised despite its impressive facilities. With Unit 3 open for isolating newly admitted prisoners to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, and Unit 5 remaining uncommissioned, almost 100 beds were unused. This contrasts …
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Conclusion
Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison operates under a Public Private Partnership contract, an agreement the prison benefits from, with prompt responses to maintenance requests, and regular planned equipment replacements. However, the prison faces significant governance and staffing challenges that limit its ability to operate at its full potential. While the facility remains modern and secure, it …
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Recommendations
Recommendation 1 Review the Eastern Goldfield Regional Prison incentives package to provide parity between local and non-local recruits. Recommendation 2 Empower Aboriginal staff to provide input into the design and delivery of cultural events and activities. Recommendation 3 Develop a process for grievance officers to record informal grievances appropriately. Recommendation 4 Install additional CCTV cameras …
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