Greenough Regional Prison opened in 1984 as a minimum-security prison. It was upgraded in 1990 to a medium-security prison. In 1996, a minimum-security area, Unit 6 was added just outside the perimeter fence. The prison holds people of all security classifications, minimum, medium and maximum (remand only). It houses men and women, sentenced and on remand. A high proportion of the prisoners are Aboriginal.
A riot occurred on 24 July 2018 and the prison was badly damaged. Repairs and rebuilding started soon after, and Unit 4 was designated to be a women’s’ precinct.
In 2021 the prison was again impacted when Cyclone Seroja hit Greenough on 11-12 April.
The traditional owners of the land are the Yamatji people. The prison is 420 kilometres north of Perth and 15 kilometres south-east of Geraldton.