Areas that had improved included:

  • Staffing levels had been increased and strategies to incentivise staff to Broome put in place.
  • Significant investment in new and old infrastructure.
  • Appointment of a new substantive Superintendent.
  • Prisoner and staff complaints to the Office had declined.
  • Improvements in dynamic security.
  • Continued good work in the education centre.
  • Good work being carried out in the area of case management.
  • The construction of a the Wyndham Work Camp in the East Kimberley.

Areas of concern that require attention included:

  • Although there had been significant infrastructure investment there remained some major maintenance issues and design flaws.
  • Whilst the new Superintendent had implemented changes to procedures and practices it was too early to evaluate these at the time of the inspection.
  • The opening of a new prison in Derby in June 2011 had caused unrest and uncertainty amongst staff, their families and the community about the future of Broome Regional Prison.
  • The need for further infrstructure expenditure in some areas of the prison such as the minimum security area (subject to a decision about the future use of the prison).
  • The development of the Prisoner Employment Program has impacted on Section 95 external work program and appears to have limited numbers of otherwise eligible prisoner in some external activities.
  • The isolation of the female prisoners.
  • The closure of Bungurun Work Camp in Derby well before the new prison had opened.
  • Lack of staffing at Wyndham Work Camp to facilitate the intended number of 40 prisoners.
Page last updated: April 4, 2014