Western Australia watchdog warns of unsafe, degrading prison conditions

Prison facilities in Western Australia are operating in conditions that may amount to “cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment, according to a report tabled in parliament on Tuesday by the state’s Inspector of Custodial Services, Eamon Ryan. The report said several prisons are in sustained crisis and that overcrowding and staffing pressures are increasing risks to the safety and wellbeing of prisoners and staff. It cited particular concerns at Hakea, Casuarina and Melaleuca prisons.

The inspector said the problems reflect a system-wide failure rather than issues at a single facility. The report linked deteriorating conditions to a 37% increase in prisoner numbers over three years and chronic workforce instability that has outpaced the correctional system’s ability to respond.

It said overcrowding has become routine, including prisoners sleeping on mattresses on cell floors. The report also pointed to the use of restrictive regimes and frequent lockdowns to maintain control when staffing is short.

According to the report, staff shortages have reduced time out of cells, cancelled family contact and limited access to basic services. It said these pressures have led to the routine denial of fundamental entitlements for people in custody.

Self-harm data and warnings of escalating risk

The inspector said the environment at Hakea, Casuarina and Melaleuca “materially” increases the risk of serious harm and death in custody. The report said the three facilities accounted for 60% of all self-harm incidents in the year to January 2026, and described the trend as rising.

It also drew parallels with warning signs identified before the 2018 Greenough Regional Prison riot, describing the system’s infrastructure and staffing levels as inadequate to safely absorb or respond to major incidents.

Calls for funded reforms and official response

Ryan called for urgent, funded, system-level reforms to address the problems identified across the prison network. He issued a show-cause notice to the Western Australia justice department and later to the Minister for Corrective Services, Paul Papalia, after the department’s response.

Papalia told parliament the increase in the prison population was linked to increased arrests for family violence offences and said corrective services did not control how many people entered prison. He said the system was funded to manage the population and that a plan was in place.

The report follows earlier warnings about conditions in Western Australian prisons, including findings in May 2024 that conditions at Hakea had deteriorated to the point that prisoners were suspected of being held in cruel, inhuman or degrading conditions.

Officials are expected to respond to the show-cause notice and to outline what changes, funding and timelines will be put in place to address overcrowding and staffing pressures across the prison system.