92: Report of an announced inspection of Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison

Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison (EGRP) was opened in 1980 to provide custodial services for goldfields towns and remote Aboriginal desert communities. It has a majority Aboriginal prisoner population.  The current site will cease operation in mid-2015 with the opening of an adjacent new, purpose-built facility. Capacity of the prison will increase from 110 to 350, …

The inspection found a sound management team overseeing delivery of services in trying circumstances. Construction of the adjacent new prison facility had required closure of the oval and removal of workshops, in turn reducing recreation, employment and training opportunities. Despite those disruptions, staff morale was high, infrastructure was well maintained, and the majority Goldfields/Ngaanyatjarra Aboriginal …

The Inspector, in his Overview to the report, described Eastern Goldfields as a “prison in transition”.  A new prison is being constructed and is due to open in late 2015. The prison was coping as well given the impending transition to the new facility, however, the infrastructure had outlived its ‘use-by’ date. More significantly, the …

Recommendation 1: That TOMS be used effectively to capture the cultural background of Aboriginal prisoners and that EGRP management make better use of that information. Recommendation 2: That EGRP be resourced by the Department to engage effectively with remote and regional Aboriginal communities, in particular to: (a) gather social and cultural information to assist with …