Melaleuca’s journey has been tenuous and privatisation was precarious
Melaleuca Women’s Prison (Melaleuca) did not start out as a women’s prison. Its origin was two accommodation units attached to Hakea Prison (Hakea). The facility has also been used to accommodate young people. It is not a fit for purpose women’s prison.
The prison commenced operations on 15 December 2016 under the private management of Sodexo Australia Pty Ltd (Sodexo). It was branded as both a remand and reintegration facility for women that Sodexo would manage for five years. Our first inspection of Melaleuca described the contract to operate the facility as ‘lengthy, complex, and overly prescriptive’ (OICS, 2018, p. 8). Added to this was a changing political landscape that left Sodexo in a precarious position. By December 2019, just three years into the contract, Sodexo and the government agreed to end the contract early. The prison transitioned to public management in April 2020.
Inadequate infrastructure, not fit for purpose and increasing crowding
Melaleuca is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ prison, not purpose built for women. There were no specialised spaces like other prisons have, for example self-care accommodation and limited dispersal options. Essential infrastructure was missing and existing infrastructure inadequate. Increased crowding in the women’s estate added extra pressure on Melaleuca’s already inadequate infrastructure.
A complex prison without an apparent strategic vision
The cohort was complex. It included a high percentage of women on remand (90%), and more than half the population was First Nations women. The women also had complex needs, particularly mental health needs, which Melaleuca was not set up to manage appropriately. There was no clear strategy at a local level to guide a consistent model of care for managing the women. Short-staffing and regular redeployment impacted heavily on the provision of services for the women. Lack of collaboration across the women’s estate kept women stuck at Melaleuca.
No purposeful regime
There were too many women at Melaleuca and not enough to keep them meaningfully occupied. Officers could not facilitate a purposeful regime. Women working in the kitchen and gardens were busy and enjoyed these roles, but other employment opportunities were limited. Education lacked essential infrastructure to provide a full suite of courses, but the team worked hard to achieve outcomes despite being stretched. Women could stay connected with family and friends through a flexible and well-managed social visits system.
More appropriate searching procedures but limited management options
The introduction of a full-body x-ray scanner allowed for more decent and appropriate searching and mostly removed the need to strip search the women. There had been an increase in use of force incidents and women were concerned for their safety in the prison. Re-purposing of cells in unit 2 assisted in managing prisoners on punishment or management regimes. But this impacted the regime for other prisoners in the unit.
Women’s complex health needs were well-managed but the team was stretched
The health services’ team worked hard to achieve good health outcomes for the women, many of whom had complex health needs. Dental services were not available on site. Mental health services were struggling with a significantly under-resourced team and no multi-disciplinary approach. The Crisis Care Unit (CCU) where women in crisis were accommodated was not fit for purpose. Pregnant women received good health care, but the environment was not suitable for pregnant women, and they did not feel safe.