Melaleuca Women’s Prison is Western Australia’s primary receival and remand facility for women,
though it has a complex and evolving history. The site originated as two additional accommodation
units (Units 11 and 12) of Hakea Prison. These were commissioned in 2011 to expand capacity for the
male estate. However, these units were underutilised due to safety concerns and uncertainty about
their role. In 2013, following a major disturbance at Banksia Hill Detention Centre, the units were
repurposed to temporarily house over 130 young male detainees for nine months.
In 2014, the Department of Justice announced the conversion of these units into a 256-bed, maximum-security
remand and reintegration facility for women. This marked a significant shift, with the site
transitioning from male accommodation to a youth detention facility, and ultimately to a women’s
prison. The Melaleuca Remand and Reintegration Facility commenced operations in December 2016
under private management by Sodexo Australia Pty Ltd, following a competitive tender process.
The prison’s early years were shaped by contractual and governance challenges. This culminated in
the early termination of the Sodexo contract in 2019, with the facility transitioning to public
management in April 2020.
This was Melaleuca’s fourth inspection and the third as a publicly run facility.