Broome is the oldest operating prison in Western Australia. Three accommodation blocks and administrative buildings were commissioned in 1945, clustered around the ‘Bull Pen’, a secure shed built in 1895. Seven inspections of Broome by the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services (OICS) since 2001 have found it below standard.
Broome manages remand and sentenced prisoners of all security ratings. The prison population is predominantly Aboriginal men from across the Kimberley region, but a small unit is usually set aside for female prisoners.
In 2012 staff and services at Broome were reduced prior to the opening of the new West Kimberley Regional Prison at Derby. In 2019, funding was announced to plan for a new Broome Prison.
Yawuru people are the Traditional Owners of the Broome site and surrounds.