Current inspections and reviews
This list includes:
- Inspections and Reviews which have been announced and are in progress
- Inspections and Reviews which have been completed and a report is being prepared
The inspection of Casuarina Prison will assess 25 selected standards within the framework of the inspectorate’s draft Standards for Adult Custodial Services:
- Governance: Evaluating the prison’s strategic direction, leadership, and human resource management.
- Early Days in Custody: Reviewing the treatment of individuals upon entry, including orientation procedures, and support for those on remand.
- Duty of Care: Ensuring access to legal support and safeguarding prisoners from bullying, abuse, violence, and intimidation.
- Daily Life: Assessing living conditions, opportunities for meaningful activity, and maintaining family connections.
- Health and Support: Evaluating the availability and quality of physical and mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and culturally appropriate support.
- Rehabilitation: Reviewing processes for prisoner assessment, case management, and needs related to employment, education, and program participation.
- Behaviour Management: Promoting positive staff-prisoner relationships and examining practices around isolation, segregation, and the use of force or restraints.
- Security: Assessing physical infrastructure, search procedures, emergency response management, and prisoner transport.
The inspection report is expected to be tabled in the second quarter of 2026.
The inspection of Roebourne Regional Prison will assess 16 selected standards within the framework of the inspectorate’s draft Standards for Adult Custodial Services:
- Governance: Focussing on human resources – all staff possess the necessary skills and authority to manage people in custody safely and effectively.
- Daily Life: Assessing living conditions, maintaining connections, food, canteen, and purposeful activities.
- Health and Support: Evaluating the availability and quality of physical and mental health services and culturally appropriate support.
- Rehabilitation: Inspecting employment, programs, education, and preparation for release.
- Managing Behaviour: How does the prison encourage positive behaviour?
- Security: Focusing on relationships between staff and prisoners.
The inspection report is expected to be tabled in the second quarter of 2026.
The inspection of Bunbury Regional Prison will assess 24 selected standards within the framework of the Inspectorate’s Standards for Adult Custodial Services:
- Governance: Evaluating the prison’s strategic direction, leadership, and human resource management.
- Early Days in Custody: Reviewing the treatment of individuals upon entry, including orientation procedures, and support for those on remand.
- Duty of Care: Ensuring access to legal support and safeguarding prisoners from bullying, abuse, violence, and intimidation.
- Daily Life: Assessing living conditions, provision of a varied and balanced diet, opportunities for meaningful activity, and maintaining family connections.
- Health and Support: Evaluating the availability and quality of physical and mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and culturally appropriate support.
- Rehabilitation: Reviewing processes for prisoner assessment, case management, and needs related to employment, education, program participation and preparation for release.
- Behaviour Management: Promoting positive staff-prisoner relationships, encouraging positive behaviour, and examining practices around isolation and segregation.
- Security: Assessing physical infrastructure, procedural security practices, incident and emergency management, and prisoner transport.
The inspection report is expected to be tabled in the third quarter of 2026.
The inspection of Melaleuca Women’s Prison will assess 22 selected standards within the framework of the Inspectorate’s Standards for Adult Custodial Services:
- Governance: Focussing on human resources – all staff possess the necessary skills and authority to manage people in custody safely and effectively.
- Early Days in Custody: Evaluating those who enter custody and the support they receive whilst on remand.
- Duty of Care: Assessing the access of legal support and the complaints procedures and the review of safeguards to ensure individuals feel safe from bullying, abuse, and trauma.
- Daily Life: Assessing living conditions, maintaining connections, hygiene, and purposeful activities.
- Health and Support: Evaluating the availability and quality of physical and mental health services and culturally appropriate support.
- Rehabilitation: Inspecting employment, programs, and education.
- Managing Behaviour: How does the prison encourage positive behaviour through staff interactions and examining practices around isolation, segregation, and the use of force.
- Security: Staff and prisoner relationship’s, search procedures and emergency response management.
The inspection report is expected to be tabled in the third quarter of 2026.
Many women are received into custody experiencing a range of chronic health issues, including substance withdrawal, undiagnosed health conditions or untreated mental health conditions. And it is recognised that incarcerated women have increased incidence of health conditions. A number of these women will also enter custody pregnant, which further increases the demand for sufficient health services.
Therefore, access to appropriate health care and support is essential for pregnant women in custody.
Women in custody are a vulnerable cohort, who are exposed to complex risk factors. For some women, imprisonment during pregnancy can provide greater access to medical care than what they may have received in the community. However, for others, prison can disrupt a woman’s antenatal care and sense of agency around their pregnancy journey and planning. In particular, pregnant women on short periods of remand may experience greater challenges of receiving maternal services.
Maternal imprisonment has been associated with poorer health outcomes for the mother and infant. These include, a greater risk of adverse outcomes such as preterm birth, still birth, low birth weight and admission to special care nurseries. Mothers often experience distress and isolation during pregnancy and are more likely to have mental-ill health. The use of tobacco and substance abuse while pregnant prior to (and sometimes during) incarceration is also common.
Previous OICS inspection reports have found a lack of suitable accommodation options for pregnant women. In particular, pregnant women in regional facilities often do not have access to obstetric health care and are subsequently transferred out of their community to metropolitan facilities. This is despite some regional facilities having dedicated mother and baby units, which have not been utilised for their intended purpose. Where this type of accommodation is available, it is limited to metropolitan facilities.
Previously, we have found inconsistencies in the services available to pregnant women across the Western Australian custodial estate. This often results in inequitable access to support and healthcare based on location.
This review will examine the management and supports available to pregnant women in the adult custodial estate. The terms of reference are:
- Does the Department of Justice provide pregnant women in custody support and antenatal care equivalent to community standards of care?
- What is the experience of pregnant women in custody?
A report on this review is anticipated to be available to the public.
Page last updated: 29 Jan 2026