The main two challenges facing Albany Regional Prison were rising prisoner numbers and staff shortages. These two factors combined placed pressure on almost all aspects of the prison’s operations, including impacts on core services like health, recreation, employment, and education. Restrictions were also evident in the daily regime and interactions between custodial staff and prisoners, both of which are essential for the safe and secure operation of the prison.
Just prior to the commencement of our inspection in February 2024, an acting Superintendent was appointed to lead Albany. This appointment brought noticeable change and generated renewed enthusiasm and focus on getting prisoners out of their units to participate in activities like employment and recreation.
The Department of Justice had also recognised the need to increase recruitment and training of custodial staff, and this included local recruitment and training for regional prisons. Following our inspection, two prison officer training schools were successfully run in Albany during 2024.
However, prisoner numbers continued to rise throughout 2024. Our inspection found the higher population had increased pressure on both the ageing infrastructure of the prison and the level of service delivery. Population growth had occurred without a proportionate increase in resources, leading to delays in assessment and inadequate access to offender treatment programs.
The result was more and more prisoners missing opportunities to be rehabilitated and prepared for successful reintegration after release. Because they had not addressed their offending behaviour, more prisoners were not approved for release to parole at their earliest eligibility date. Failure to release people from custody at the earliest opportunity contributed to the rise in prisoner numbers across the state.