Staff morale, 'inhumane conditions' feature in Bunbury Prison report

Bunbury Regional Prison is hampered by morale problems among staff and inhumane conditions in some of its cells, according to an independent review.

Inspector of Custodial Services Neil Morgan this afternoon tabled in State Parliament his latest review of the prison which found a number of issues despite labelling it “well-performing”.

In his report Mr Morgan noted that Bunbury Prison was two separate facilities – a main prison and a Pre-Release Unit.

He claimed that while some parts of the main prison were in good shape others failed to meet Australian and international standards, describing them “not fit for purpose” which “amount to inhumane conditions”.

He said some cells measured 6sq m, which was less than the international standard of 7.5sq m, and were "double-bunked".

He also said staff culture was a problem.

“Staff should be positive about the prison and take pride in what they have achieved,” he said.

“But unfortunately they were overly-negative and conflicted. Many staff blamed management, but addressing these issues is a shared responsibility – it is one for staff themselves as well as for local and head office management.”

Mr Morgan said it was difficult for staff to adjust between working in the two facilities which have different priorities.

He has called for the Department to separate the management of the facilities so they can have dedicated staff, budgets and performance expectations.

“While the PRU and the main prison have been performing reasonably well to date, the PRU would benefit from having a more stand-alone approach to operations,” Mr Morgan said.

“Without this, it is unlikely to achieve its full potential to reduce re-offending, especially in the climate of reduced prison budgets.”

Mr Morgan was generally positive about the prison, praising its in-house programs, staff-prisoner relations and its “committed and competent health team”.