- Advise Casuarina management and staff about the additional resources which will be provided to expand the infrastructure, staffing levels, and service provision to meet Casuarina’s obligations to all its prisoners.
- In order to inspire confidence of all staff in the Performance Assessment Development System it should be reviewed and revised to ensure that (1) it facilitates accurate assessment of performance; and (2) it facilitates the identification of employee training needs and accordingly ensures provision of the requisite training.
- Consistent with the intent of the Department’s key business philosophies underpinning its strategic plan, Casuarina Prison should explore and develop alternative, innovative strategies to demonstrably reduce the impact of its activities upon the environment. Where necessary, it may be appropriate for the Department to provide additional resources for this purpose.
- Using a consultative approach, the Department and the Prison should develop and implement a detailed strategy with measurable outcomes, for the culturally appropriate management of all Aboriginal prisoners. Consultation could involve volunteers and elders, Prison Support Officers, Aboriginal Visitor Scheme staff, and the Coordinator Aboriginal Services.
- Review the aims, objectives and content of the DAP program and revise the program accordingly.
- The Department and Casuarina work together to put better systems and resources in place for the release planning and re-entry into the community of displaced prisoners. In particular, where security allows, displaced prisoners should be given more opportunity to spend more time at a prison closer to home before release.
- In order to address the problem of unemployment and under-employment the Department should:
- ensure all eligible prisoners at Casuarina are offered full-time, meaningful employment and/or skill development activity; and
- review and realign its employment and skill development activity at Casuarina to ensure an optimal balance between safety, improving the employment prospects of prisoners, offsetting the costs of imprisonment and benefiting the community.
- Implement a human resource management and infrastructure plan that will ensure that all eligible prisoners are offered education and training that is relevant, is evenly weighted across a range of employment skills, and can substantively benefit prisoners in terms of skill development and employability upon release.
- Develop a staffing model that
- is based on prisoners’ evidenced health needs;
- facilitates collaborative working between disciplines and continuity of prisoner-patient care;
- provides options for career progression; and
- provides comprehensive and ongoing professional development.
- In view of Casuarina’s statewide obligation to provide infirmary and Crisis Care Unit services, the fact that there has been no increase in capacity of these services since the prison opened, and that the population has risen exponentially, it is recommended that the built environment should be reviewed and that there should be significant investment in expanded, appropriate and different facilities.
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- Review and revise assessment and care planning tools to ensure that they facilitate more comprehensive identification of and support for health issues, particularly those impacting upon behaviour.
- Review assessment tools for their cultural relevance and develop or obtain alternatives accordingly.
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- In order to enhance custodial staff’s confidence, and to assist in ensuring appropriate responses to prisoners, provide training to custodial staff in how to challenge and change behaviour and in the common causes of behavioural problems.
- Provide initial and ongoing training to all health care staff to ensure culturally relevant and appropriate health care delivery.
- Review and revise appointment practices across the prison estate and implement a system or systems that improve timeliness and communication.
- Recruit Aboriginal Health and Mental Health Workers.