Bunbury is Western Australia’s largest regional prison catering to an increasingly complex cohort of medium- and minimum-security adult male prisoners.
OICS said Bunbury has been a high achiever in the prison network and many of the attributes which made it a positive and productive correctional facility were still evident during an inspection in 2023.
Noted as a programs prison, Bunbury’s prisoner services include in-prison employment, education, training and therapeutic programs, community work, and rehabilitation and reintegration support.
Most recently it launched the Djarraly AOD Reintegration Service, a therapeutic program supporting prisoners with drug and alcohol issues in preparation for their release back into the community.
“Program participants have positively reflected about the opportunity to break the cycle of addiction, criminal behaviour and imprisonment,” OICS said. “It is an exciting and innovative program.”
Department Director General Kylie Maj said Djarraly supports the State’s Methamphetamine Action Plan that recommends the expansion of AOD through-care services for regional prisoners, following the success of similar programs at Wandoo and Casuarina prisons in the metropolitan area.
“Eligible participants can be placed in an accommodation unit and access self-management recovery programs and in-reach and outreach family counselling services,” she said.
“They can also become eligible to transition to supervised work in the community that enables them to gain job-ready skills to help in their reconnection and reintegration to society after being released.”
OICS said staffing and resources constraints and aging infrastructure were challenges for Bunbury, lagging the prison’s growth and expanded services and program delivery.
But it also acknowledged Bunbury’s “strong leadership” and “committed staff” and that multiple areas of prison operations were performing well including education and training programs, management of at-risk prisoners and transitional and security services.
A freak storm that tore through Bunbury in May causing extensive damage to the prison’s pre-release unit and surrounds demonstrated the mettle of staff and management who moved affected prisoners to other accommodation, kept the facility and community safe and secure, and helped clear debris.
Bunbury staff and minimum-security prisoners (supervised by the staff) were also deployed to assist agencies and volunteer groups in the massive community clean-up effort in the wake of the tornado.
Commissioner for Corrective Services Brad Royce said maintaining the high standard of prison operations was testament to Bunbury’s experienced senior management team and dedicated staff.
“The leadership group and custodial and non-custodial workforce at Bunbury are committed to the care of prisoners, and their rehabilitation and the safety of the community are priorities,” he said.
