• The property store is becoming too small to store prisoners’ property and is also understaffed.
  • Reception runs smoothly, but peer support should work out of the reception centre to provide early support to prisoners arriving at Acacia.
  • There were hundreds of Individual Management Plans still outstanding which impacted prisoners, the prison and the community.
  • Offender programs were running well and the voluntary programs were very popular.
  • The accommodation blocks were becoming increasingly crowded and this was impacting on services and opportunities for prisoners.
  • The renovated kitchen was in excellent condition, but prisoner satisfaction levels with the food had declined.
  • The peer support team was strong and well-supported.
  • Protection prisoners’ access to services had reduced and they did not always feel safe.
  • The lifers’ strategy was still in place and the Lifers’ Liaison Officers were a cohesive team.
  • Inclusion of non-lifers in some lifers’ houses was destabilising.
  • There was no physical presence by the Aboriginal Visitors Service.
  • The Indigenous Services Coordinator role was too big for one person.
  • The closure of Wandoo as a reintegration facility for young adult males had impacted on reintegration services for the young adults in Uniform Block at Acacia.
  • Employment options were innovative but limited, and traineeships had declined.
  • Additional resources have been invested into health care at Acacia and staff morale in the health centre has improved.
  • Prisoners were still dissatisfied with the waiting times for access to the health centre.
  • Despite having a full-time dentist, access to dentist services remained difficult.
  • Staff are becoming too busy to develop positive relationships with prisoners, and, accordingly, prisoners felt increasingly unsafe.
  • Emergency management was comprehensive.
  • Management support and communication had improved since the last inspection.
  • Operational areas were still regularly short staffed but the new recruits helped ease the burden.
  • Contract management overall was good – effective governance arrangements in place, good reporting requirements in place against performance measures, and Serco are delivering well against these.
  • The oversight of the maintenance agreement, however, has been poor.
Page last updated: November 6, 2019