- A new system to assess and classify prisoners into minimum, medium and maximum security, introduced in 2009, met expectations in increasing the proportion of minimum and medium security prisoners while reducing the proportion of maximum security prisoners.
- Non-Aboriginal people were the overwhelming beneficiaries of the new system accounting for 96 per cent of the increase in minimum security males. (Read more)
- Aboriginal women in particular did not benefit from the new system. There was no change in the proportion of Aboriginal women accessing minimum security despite a doubling of non-Aboriginal females accessing minimum security. (Read more)
- There has been a large increase in the number of prisoners being held in facilities which are more secure than their security classification dictates, suggesting that investment in lower security facilities has not kept pace with changes to the classification system. (Read more)
- Female prisoners have been more profoundly affected than male prisoners with a large number of minimum security women being subject to the maximum security requirements of Bandyup. Low and declining numbers of Aboriginal women have been accessing Boronia pre-Release Centre, the minimum security facility for women.
- Work camps for minimum security male prisoners have been under-utilised. A significant number of work-camp suitable prisoners remain in minimum security prisons, and far too many minimum security prisoners are being held in medium and maximum security due to a lack of space at minimum security. (Read more)
- Levels of external activities under section 95 vary between prisons but there is clearly a significant level of unmet demand. Female prisoners, especially those located at Bandyup Women’s prison, are especially adversely affected.