126: Inspection of Broome Regional Prison

Broome Regional Prison is located in Broome, Western Australia, 2,174 kilometres north of Perth. The traditional owners of the land are the Yawuru people. The prison manages male and female prisoners of all security ratings from across the Kimberley region. It also manages the Wyndham Work Camp located in Wyndham, more than 1,000 kilometres away. …

There have been some noticeable improvements in several aspects of the prison and its operations since our last inspection. However, everyone we spoke to agreed that the infrastructure was unsuitable, well past its useful life, and in need of replacement. The state government announced in May 2019 that it had set aside $1.4 million to …

Historical uncertainty at Broome Regional Prison has translated into ailing infrastructure The future of the prison has been clouded by uncertainty for years, but re-establishing senior management positions was restoring stability. There were many infrastructure limitations. The maximum-security section was still an overcrowded and depressing space, and the women’s unit had been further restricted and …

The report made seven recommendations: Recommendation 1 Do not accommodate men and women in the same unit. Recommendation 2 Implement a short-term solution to address the mould and associated occupational health and safety risks in the administration buildings. Recommendation 3 Streamline recruitment processes so vacancies can be filled in a timely manner. Recommendation 4 Provide …