A historically strong performer, that may not be sustainable
Bunbury Regional Prison (Bunbury) has consistently performed well across the prison estate. But the largest regional prison in Western Australia lacked a strategic plan and relied on a management structure that had not been reviewed for 12 years, despite the prison’s growth and increasingly diverse functions. A significant development was the addition of an Alcohol and Other Drugs support and reintegration service for local prisoners. But with expansion comes risk and the cracks were beginning to show.
Infrastructure had not kept pace with expansion
Since Bunbury opened in 1971 with 86 beds, its capacity has increased to accommodate 569 prisoners. Although accommodation units have been added inside and outside the main prison fence, infrastructure was inadequate for the population. This impacted service delivery and working conditions for staff. The Department sourced demountable spaces and prisoners repaired failing buildings but there were no plans to address the shortfalls in the longer term.
Committed staff but some relationships were strained
Most staff were positive about their colleagues and relationships with prisoners and all service providers spoke highly of management. But the pressures of short staffing, redeployment and expansion left some staff feeling frustrated and unsupported, particularly by head office. Like staff, local management were also under pressure to deliver on additional priorities and so they were less available for staff. This fed some staffs’ perceptions that leadership was disconnected, a perception strengthened when allegations of bullying and inappropriate behaviours between staff were under review. Such processes are confidential, but a perceived lack of transparency left some staff feeling unheard and with concerns the grievance process lacked rigour.
Declining satisfaction with everyday life, but there were some highlights
Prisoners were less satisfied with the quality of life than in previous inspections. Although lockdowns were less common than in many other prisons, most prisoners reported there were not enough meaningful jobs, or access to programs, recreation and family, so they felt unproductive and disengaged. Food at Bunbury is generally reported as the among the best across the estate, but residents in the pre-release unit thought their household budget was inadequate to keep pace with the increased cost of living.
Stretched prisoner health and wellbeing services
Despite an increased primary health team, many prisoners, particularly those with ongoing or complex health concerns, did not think their health needs were met as there were delays in seeing health professionals. Although there was a purpose-built dental suite, prisoners were waiting even longer for dental care than the average of 13.1 months we reported on in 2021. The counsellors had full caseloads, the psychiatry service had stopped and there was no backfill for either of the two Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs positions. However, support services, including the peer support team, Aboriginal Visitor Scheme, chaplaincy and management of prisoners at risk, were comprehensive.
Bunbury could not meet the needs of all the prisoner groups
Bunbury accommodates a range of cohorts, including older, long term and foreign national prisoners. But while some metropolitan prisons are resourced to meet specific cohorts needs, Bunbury lacked appropriate infrastructure, policy and resourcing. There was little evidence of any age affirming resources, supports for those with illness or mobility limitations or strategies to improve the quality of life for long term prisoners. As we often find, responsibility for foreign national prisoners was not attached to any specific position, so support was ad hoc and variable. Many prisoners with histories of illicit substance use told us it was unlikely they would overcome substance dependence without more therapeutic supports.
Preparations for release worked well, but preparing prisoners for life had challenges
Transitional services ensured prisoners were linked with re-entry providers and prepared for the day of release. But too many prisoners were employed in low skilled unit work or missed out on opportunities to learn trades or earn money to prepare for their release. The population in the pre-release unit had doubled since its opening and so resources and opportunities were stretched thin. Some prisoners reported delays in accessing reintegration activities, such as working or volunteering in the community or starting home leave.
Security was well managed, but not immune to staffing and resource pressures experienced across the prison
Most staff and prisoners felt safe at Bunbury and there were very few incidents involving use of force. But bullying between prisoners was an issue, particularly for people who had sexually offended, and the anti-bullying policy could not be properly implemented without additional resources. The security team was proactive but lost some key security positions when the prison was short of staff which reduced supervision of prisoners and workplaces. Security infrastructure upgrades were required in some areas to mitigate risk.