Under the Court Security and Custodial Services Act 1999 (the Act), all Western Australian court custody centres and the Fiona Stanley Hospital secure facility are managed by private contractors.

The Act defines a court custody centre as that part of the court’s premises where people in custody are detained. Sentenced prisoners, people remanded in custody, or those arrested and charged with a crime are held in court custody centres before appearing in court.

Eleven of the metropolitan courts have a custody centre. Most regional courts do not have a custody centre, and detainees, or persons in custody are held at the local police lock-up. They are given into the custody of the contractor only for the duration of their court appearance.