Boronia Pre-release Centre for Women (Boronia) is the only dedicated minimum-security and pre-release facility for women in Western Australia. It opened in May 2004, and was originally designed to accommodate 71 women nearing the end of their sentences.
Boronia is located in a suburb eight kilometres from the Perth CBD. The site is surrounded by aged care residences and university/tertiary education facilities, and is hardly distinguishable from the outside as a prison. The facility includes 17 shared accommodation houses, much like those found in any suburban setting.
The population at Boronia has increased, consistent with the crowding affecting all prisons across the state. Inevitably this has meant some rooms must be shared across Boronia which has increased its operational capacity to 95. When we inspected it in May 2018 the population was around 90 residents.
Boronia operates along a specific women-centred philosophy incorporating four principles:
- Personal responsibility and empowerment
- Family responsibilities
- Community responsibility
- Respect and integrity.
These principles may be unique to Boronia but they are the accepted principles of any law-abiding lifestyle. They are important principles for Boronia’s residents to prepare for life on the outside.