Bunbury Regional Prison (Bunbury) is a male, multi-security prison accommodating maximum security
(remand only), medium security and minimum-security prisoners. It is the largest regional prison in
Western Australia and the fourth largest in the state.
The prison was commissioned in February 1971 as a rehabilitation centre for male first offenders
under the age of 25 with a capacity to accommodate 68 young offenders in single-bed cells.
In 1982 a dedicated minimum-security section was built outside the main security fence. This allowed
those prisoners to work in the market garden located adjacent to the prison which provided fresh
produce for the prison system. In 1992 the prison was upgraded to a genuine medium-security facility,
with the addition of a new high-security fence and a sophisticated electronic surveillance system.
The 2023 inspection found that Bunbury lacked a strategic plan and relied on a management structure
that had not been reviewed for 12 years. A significant development was the addition of an Alcohol and
Other Drugs (AOD) support and reintegration service.
Previous inspections have found that Bunbury was a strong performer and operating well, albeit there
were some major changes to infrastructure, prisoner dynamics and prison population.
The prison population has increased from 502 to 595 since the last inspection.