Background
Acacia Prison opened in May 2001 and is a medium-security prison for adult males. The facility is owned by the Department of Justice and the operation of the prison has been contracted to the private company, Serco. It is the only privately-operated prison in Western Australia. In 2021, Serco were successful in their bid for …
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Key findings
In the two years leading up to the inspection, Serco had undergone and won a tender process for a new contract to operate the prison. Once the contract was awarded, Serco developed a transition plan to satisfy the obligations under the new agreement. On 16 May 2021, the State Government acknowledged the achievement of operational …
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Conclusion
Last inspection Serco was in a state of uncertainty as to whether it would still hold the contract to manage Acacia after May 2021 when the contract expired. Extensive effort was put into the bidding process and Serco was awarded a new contract for a five-year term with two extension options. With the contract awarded …
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Recommendations
Recommendation 1 Review staffing levels and implement recommended changes to ensure there are adequate staff numbers for the safe operation of the prison. Recommendation 2 Review physical storage capacity and practice and implement recommended changes to safely and securely store prisoner property while eliminating work health and safety risks for staff. Recommendation 3 The Department …
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