In May 2024 the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services (the Office) undertook an announced inspection of Hakea Prison. The inspection coincided with the three yearly inspection requirements set out in the Inspector of Custodial Services Act 2003 (the Act).
The findings of that inspection raised significant concern that:
a) there was a serious risk to the safety, care or welfare of prisoners being held at Hakea; and
b) prisoners were being subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
The Inspector subsequently issued the Director General of the Department of Justice (the Department) a Show Cause Notice in accordance with Section 33A of the Act. The Department’s response acknowledged the Inspector’s concerns and outlined a suite of initiatives to address the issues raised. The Inspector subsequently referred the matter to the Minister for Corrective Services, noting that, despite the Department’s commitments, the situation was unlikely to improve in the immediate short-term.
Since this time, the Office has continued to monitor the conditions at Hakea through regular visits to the facility and by analysing data on key indicators, such as out-of-cell-hours and rates of self-harm. Concerned that conditions had not significantly improved, an unannounced night visit and an announced day visit, with a large team of staff, was conducted in February and March 2025 to further assess conditions and the impacts of ongoing staffing shortages. The findings of those visits confirmed that, despite the efforts of the Department since the last inspection, Hakea continues to operate in a state of crisis.
Given the seriousness of the ongoing situation at Hakea, the Inspector formed the view that it was in the public interest to publish a follow-up inspection report to increase transparency on the conditions being experienced at the facility.
As such, this report was prepared based on the findings of the recent unannounced night visit, the announced day visit, and ongoing data monitoring. It is focussed on re-assessing the conditions for prisoners at Hakea in March 2025 and the efforts made by the Department to address concerns raised in the Show Cause Notice.