Background
Acacia Prison has faced significant challenges in recent years Acacia Prison (Acacia) is a Western Australian medium-security prison located in the Perth hills. It is operated by Serco Asia Pacific through a closely managed contract with the Department of Justice (the Department). At the time of our last inspection in November 2021, the current contract …
Read more
Key findings
Contract pressures hindered Acacia’s progressive leadership Since our last inspection, Acacia’s senior management had evolved, with new leaders working to restore the contract’s viability and the facility’s profitability. Significant efforts were also made to recruit custodial staff and reduce vacancies that had limited service access for those in custody. People in custody were managed well …
Read more
Recommendations
Recommendation 1 Investigate and address workplace culture concerns within the staffing group. Recommendation 2 Introduce body scanning technology at Acacia to minimise potentially retraumatising effects of strip searches. Recommendation 3 The Department of Justice develop a contemporary drug replacement/withdrawal treatment program that addresses the demand for treatment beyond opiates. Recommendation 4 Develop and implement a …
Read more