90: Report of an announced inspection of Acacia Prison

Acacia was Western Australia’s first privately managed prison. It was originally established in 2001 and managed by Australasian Integrated Management Services (AIMS). In 2006 the contract was awarded to Serco Australia, who was still delivering Acacia’s prison services during the time of the 2013 inspection. In 2010, the Inspector commended Serco for delivering high quality …

The 2013 inspection of Acacia was very complex, encompassing the operations and practices of the state’s largest prison, the management of the contract and the 387 bed expansion project. Overall the prison was still performing very well but, in some areas, Serco’s performance had slipped when compared with the high levels seen in the 2010 …

Positive findings from the 2013 inspection included: The prison continued to meet most of its contractual requirements. The most tangible innovation was the Custodial Management System, an ATM-like kiosk that allows prisoners to self-manage their daily life, freeing up officers to complete other duties. The majority of staff demonstrated enthusiasm towards their job and a …

Recommendation 1: (a)   The Department’s annual reports on the Acacia Prison Services Agreement should include a robust estimate of the costs it incurs in relation to Acacia Prison and an explanation of how these costs are calculated; and (b)   The Department’s main Annual Report should provide an outline of the relative costs of …