Breaking: Damning report finds WA prisoners subjected to 'cruel, degrading treatment'

Western Australian prisons are in a state of disrepair, leading to "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment" of inmates, according to a damning report released by the state's Inspector of Custodial Services, Eamon Ryan. The report concludes that the same factors contributing to a major prison riot in 2018 are present in three prisons today.

In response, Mr. Ryan has taken the extraordinary step of issuing a show cause notice to the government, demanding an explanation for the conditions within Hakea, Casuarina, and Melaleuca prisons. This is the fourth time such a notice has been issued by an Inspector, with the government previously receiving one in 2024 regarding Hakea Prison, where improvements were found to be minimal the following year.

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I said to him 'how do you cope with that' and he said 'I sleep with a towel over my head so when the two other guys get up during the night I don't get splashed'.

The core issue identified is a significant 37% increase in the prison population since early 2023, without a corresponding rise in available cells or staff numbers. This overcrowding has resulted in dire living conditions for some prisoners, including being forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor for over 18 months.

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I was appalled by that. That's terrible conditions, that is inhumane and degrading conditions.

Mr. Ryan recounted a disturbing encounter at Hakea Prison where a prisoner slept on a floor mattress just 60 centimeters from the cell's toilet. The prisoner told Mr. Ryan he slept with a towel over his head to avoid being splashed by cellmates during the night. "I was appalled by that. That's terrible conditions, that is inhumane and degrading conditions," Mr. Ryan stated, noting that 120 people are currently housed in similar arrangements.

The Inspector warned that these conditions hinder rehabilitation efforts, potentially making released prisoners more dangerous. He recommended that the Justice Department develop a comprehensive, costed reform implementation plan with clear short, medium, and long-term goals and timelines. The department acknowledged the recommendation, stating that teams have been formed to manage prisoner populations and a recruitment program is underway to increase prison officer numbers, with nearly $500 million allocated in the state budget for related initiatives.

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If you release them from prison and you have treated them badly and you haven't given them any sort of rehabilitation, they're going to be worse.