Reccommendation 1:
The Department should ensure that Bandyup’s practices and procedures align with Departmental strategic policy documents relating to women in prison, and that all its employees are aware of its core values and expectations. There should be an action plan to address deficiencies.
Recommendation 2:
The Department institute a ‘lessons learned’ exercise arising out of events at Bandyup in 2012 and 2013 to ensure that, in the future, appropriate, timely, and effective corporate support is given to prisons.
Recommendation 3:
(a) Appoint a new substantive Superintendent to Bandyup or appoint a person to a long-term acting position;
(b) Examine the best management structure for the prison, including additional resources for the short or long-term; and
(c) Firm up and reinvigorate the Bandyup management team.
Recommendation 4:
Reinvigorate Bandyup’s performance management system and procedures with an emphasis on developing relationship and communication skills, as well as improving the PADS system.
Recommendation 5:
Improve Bandyup’s focus on consistent customer service to visitors to the prison, and to establish a community reference group to enhance accountability, communication and community involvement.
Recommendation 6:
Develop all unused space at the Bandyup site to maximise opportunities for recreation and relaxation and for personal and cultural development.
Recommendation 7:
Replace Unit 1 with appropriate, contemporary accommodation, and ensure that the new accommodation is designed to take account of key needs, including mental health.
Recommendation 8:
Cease the practice of compelling women to sleep on floors.
Recommendation 9:
In order to reduce recidivism rates, and with due regard to risk, the Department should examine and implement measures to improve Aboriginal women’s access to the better accommodation areas at Bandyup and the re-entry opportunities presented by Boronia.
Recommendation 10:
Ensure that Bandyup’s regime and processes actively tackle issues of prisoner bullying and better protect potentially vulnerable individuals.
Recommendation 11:
Ensure that Bandyup is better resourced to meet the needs and legal entitlements of remand prisoners, including improved access to legal resources and improved opportunities for contact with lawyers.
Recommendation 12:
Provide regular traditional foods for Aboriginal prisoners, and allow them to prepare and cook that food themselves.
Recommendation 13:
Increase prison officers’ responsibility for supervising unit activities such as food distribution and cleaning with a view to improving hygiene practices.
Recommendation 14:
Resource and implement a proactive, preventative maintenance program.
Recommendation 15:
Bandyup should develop a response to the recommendations contained in the Infection Prevention Consultant’s report and implement an appropriate action plan.
Recommendation 16:
Improve relational/dynamic security at Bandyup, including a renewed emphasis on respectful relations and positive interactions.
Recommendation 17:
The Department should ensure that when key security staff are deployed out of prisons, the positions are backfilled by appropriate staff.
Recommendation 18:
Improve control room processes and practices by rotating night shift officers through the control room position and ensure that staff in the control room are at all times fully focussed on the task.
Recommendation 19:
For as long as drug detection dogs are used, the Department should ensure that they are available to cover all high-risk periods in prisons. The Department should also actively pursue options based on non-invasive body screening technology.
Recommendation 20:
In reviewing the ‘structured day’ at Bandyup, the Department should ensure that the principles of a women-centred philosophy are reflected in policy and firmed up in practice.
Recommendation 21:
Bandyup management should continue to explore improved employment opportunities and, given the lack of investment in women’s imprisonment over recent years, the Department should prioritise Bandyup’s needs.
Recommendation 22:
In order to maximise opportunities for reducing recidivism, enhance the facilities and increase the resources at Bandyup for part-time and full-time education and training.
Recommendation 23:
Improve recreational activities for Bandyup prisoners, both during recreation time and as part of the structured day, and make better use of areas that are currently unused or underutilised. As part of this improvement, provide more culturally appropriate options for Aboriginal prisoners, including library materials and visits by Aboriginal elders.
Recommendation 24:
Build a new social and official visits centre inside Bandyup, and also a new external visitors’ centre for people arriving at the prison, in line with the Department’s stated philosophy of women-centred service delivery.
Recommendation 25:
Expand the bus service to and from visits at Bandyup to include access to earlier and more frequent visit sessions.
Recommendation 26:
Taking full account of the best interests of the child the Department should take steps to facilitate appropriate family connections are maintained between young people in Banksia Hill Detention Centre and adult family members in Bandyup and other prisons.
Recommendation 27:
Restructure the afternoon routine to ensure that clashes between visits, recreation, medication and canteen spends are reduced and that there is adequate staff monitoring and supervision during recreation.
Recommendation 28:
Overhaul the orientation process and ensure that each new prisoner has adequate support and is familiar with the prison and its operations before leaving the orientation unit.
Recommendation 29:
Ensure that adequate resources are allocated to Bandyup to facilitate re-entry; revitalise the Transitional Manager’s role; and reintroduce prison employment positions to assist the Transitional Manager.
Recommendation 30:
(a) Reintroduce the Nursery Coordinator position in order to deliver a more appropriate service to mothers with resident babies;
(b) Revise the Nursery Unit plans in order to provide up to date and accurate information; and
(c) Ensure all staff who work in the Unit 5/nursery houses are appropriately trained and certified to work with children and babies.
Recommendation 31:
Update Policy Directive 10 to provide:
(a) More flexible transfer criteria for pregnant women in regional prisons so that they are not routinely moved to Bandyup at 20 weeks and that transfers are based on individual risk assessment; and
(b) Enhanced opportunities for children to have overnight or day-stays with their mothers or other carers in Bandyup, subject to appropriate risk assessments.
Recommendation 32:
Re-define the job description of the Bandyup Nurse Manager to focus on developing gender-informed clinical expertise in the team and providing a resource and contact point for other prisons holding female prisoners.
Recommendation 33:
Focus on improved healthcare outcomes not ‘community equivalence’ when funding primary healthcare at Bandyup. Invest accordingly in improved physical infrastructure and adequate staff support and training.
Recommendation 34:
Revisit the four cornerstones of care as a model for health staffing, as espoused by the Department in 2011, and develop a health staffing model for Bandyup as recommended by the 2011 inspection.
Recommendation 35:
Ensure that health staff maintain and develop professional competencies by encouraging and funding attendance at external programs and courses.
Recommendation 36:
Recognise the discrimination inherent in the current health screening tool and develop a tool that is gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate. The tool should include improved screening for visual and hearing difficulties, reproductive/gynaecological issues, and mental illness/impairment.
Recommendation 37:
Review medication administration processes at Bandyup and other prisons to ensure that they are safe and timely, in keeping with accepted clinical practice and licensing recommendations.
Recommendation 38:
Improve services to address drug use and withdrawal at Bandyup. This should include a culturally secure drug and alcohol service for Aboriginal prisoners in line with the Government’s framework for Aboriginal drug and alcohol service development.
Recommendation 39:
Improve services to mentally ill and psychologically vulnerable female prisoners, including:
(a) A more integrated and comprehensive response in which ARMS, SAMS and PRAG are one part of a holistic and ongoing counselling and treatment service;
(b) Increased psychiatrist consultation sessions;
(c) Individualised shared care plans promoting multidisciplinary teamwork; and
(d) Improved services to assist transition to the community.
Recommendation 40:
Working jointly with the Department of Health and the Mental Health Commission, the Department should commission a dedicated mental health unit at Bandyup, and decommission the CCU. The new unit should be operated differently from standard prison units, with a multidisciplinary team, including a full-time forensic psychiatrist, supported by an appropriately trained staff. It should include a strong focus on reintegration services.