101: Report of an Announced Inspection of Wooroloo Prison Farm

Wooroloo Prison Farm in 2014 hosted a 100th year anniversary celebration of the site’s foundation as a sanatorium for people with leprosy and tuberculosis. It had also served a local hospital before becoming a minimum security prison in 1972. The prison performed strongly for many years, but in our third inspection of Wooroloo in 2009 …

In this inspection we found that, after a concerted effort, Wooroloo had started to resolve some of the main problems affecting its performance. Wooroloo had created a new vision for itself as ‘Australia’s leading re-entry prison’. Staff morale has improved, and there was less division. Though some staff were unhappy with aspects of the ‘firm’ …

Wooroloo Prison Farm was undergoing much-needed cultural change, but also had to improve: communication by management its staff performance appraisal process its high levels of workers’ compensation The Department was taking too long to assess whether prisoners were suitable to work and recreate outside the prison fence, which was affecting prisoners’ employment and re-entry opportunities. …

1.  Wooroloo should sustain its cultural change process. As part of this, it should: improve senior management communications with staff aim to have at least two senior officers with recent and relevant supervisory experience involved in the performance appraisal and development process for each prison officer. 2.  Wooroloo and the Department should work proactively together …