New approach a feature of Bunbury Regional Prison upgrade

12/07/05
A $9.6million upgrade of Bunbury Regional Prison will improve security and help improve offender rehabilitation.
Justice Minister John D'Orazio said the redevelopment plans include:

• a new 70-bed minimum-security 'self-care' unit on the prison's current site; and
• a fence and other infrastructure to support the new unit.

"The design of the new accommodation unit will reflect life in the community as much as possible," Mr D'Orazio said.
"Prisoners will work together to organise such things as food budgets and purchases, preparing meals and keeping their unit clean.
"They will also need to organise themselves to get up, get ready, have breakfast, fix lunch and report for their jobs or training, whether inside the prison or in supervised community projects in the South-West.
"They will work a normal day and return to the facility in the afternoon as if they were on the outside.
"This strategy aims to help prisoners successfully re-enter the community, improve their relationships with their families and lead productive, law-abiding lifestyles."
Mr D'Orazio said prisoners would be carefully assessed and only those rated minimum-security would be allowed to live in the new unit.
Construction was expected to start in April 2006 and would take a year to complete.
Minister's office: 9213 7150