121: Inspection of Hakea Prison

Hakea Prison is the primary male remand, receival and assessments prison for the Perth metropolitan region. It is in the suburb of Canning Vale, 28 kilometres south of Perth. The prison incorporates the former Canning Vale Prison and the CW Campbell Remand Centre. Canning Vale Prison was originally opened in 1982 and had the capacity …

Overcrowding Hakea is overcrowded, with no immediate signs of reprieve. Almost every cell houses two prisoners, despite being designed for only one person. Cell mates must negotiate the use of floor space, chairs, bunk allocation, television, radio, lights and toilet. The lack of personal space and privacy clearly compromises prisoner dignity and the safety of …

Background In the lead up to the inspection, Hakea had been experiencing short staffing and the prison was restricted by the number of overtime shifts that could be filled. This led to the prison being regularly locked down. A few weeks before the inspection, some of this pressure was eased when a new staff deployment …

Recommendation 1    Ensure that adequate ongoing support is provided to remand prisoners to help them deal with home, family, employment and personal circumstances. Recommendation 2    Ensure all IMP assessments are done within 28 days, consistent with Adult Custodial Rule 18. Recommendation 3    Ensure the kitchen is appropriate to cater for the Hakea prison …