140: Inspection of Hakea Prison

Hakea Prison incorporates the former Canning Vale Prison and the CW Campbell Remand Centre. Canning Vale Prison was originally opened in 1982, with the capacity to hold 248 prisoners. When the CW Campbell Remand Centre was built, it had the capacity to hold 150 remand prisoners. Over the years both sites were upgraded and expanded …

Orientation had been relocated to make way for a protection precinct, which for a short time disrupted processes. New prisoners were spending a short period (24 to 48 hours) in the orientation unit before being moved to mainstream accommodation. New young offenders were no longer being automatically placed on the Department’s At-Risk Monitoring System (ARMS). …

In 2021 Hakea held fewer prisoners than in previous inspections, with its population dropping from 1,146 in 2018 to 939. Despite this, we found the prison remained under pressure due to increasingly aged infrastructure and resource challenges. We identified concerning infrastructure challenges in several areas, including: Poor accommodation cell amenity and decency Poor CCTV coverage …

Recommendation 1 Reintroduce arrangements at Hakea for new young offenders, including a specific assessment of their risk and vulnerability, automatic referrals to support services, and an extended period in orientation. Recommendation 2 Renovate a number of cells at Hakea to support the living requirements of elderly, infirm and disabled prisoners. Recommendation 3 Invest in body …