Custodial Policies and Procedures

Prison Rules are made by the Chief Executive Officer, Department of Justice, with the approval of the Minister for Corrective Services. Prison rules form the majority of the overall system of prisons and prisoner management derived from the Prisons Act 1981 .

Standards

Prison Standards are an integral component of the Department’s new Operating Standards and Procedures Framework and:

• are aspirational and identify how the Department intends to operate
• will help to set performance benchmarks
• will help to establish safe, decent and humane environments that encourage rehabilitation and prisoners and offenders to take personal responsibility.

Prison Standards align with the principles that underpin Individualised and Integrated Offender Management (IIOM):

• Responsible offender
• Decency and humanity
• Natural justice and procedural fairness
• Accountability and transparency

Women in Prison - Prisons Standard

The first Standard in Western Australia is for Women in Prison and reflects our aspiration to deliver a world-class approach to the management of women prisoners.

The Women in Prison – Prisons Standard recognises that women in prison have different needs to men. It addresses women’s special vulnerabilities and the fact that women in custody have often experienced significant personal trauma. It acknowledges that the high proportion of Aboriginal women in the justice system requires a culturally sensitive response.

Alcohol and drug testing

The Department maintains a workplace that is safe and promotes the highest standards of integrity and accountability amongst our custodial staff. To achieve this, the Professional Standards Division conducts drug and alcohol testing of custodial staff.

The Declaration of Targeted Drugs and Masking Agents (DOCX) listed are those which may be tested for during staff drug and alcohol testing events.

Principles

The Guiding Principles for Corrections in Australia, 2018 constitute outcomes or goals to be achieved and represent a statement of intent for each Australian State and Territory to use in developing relevant legislative policy and performance standards that reflects best practice.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations aim to provide a nationally consistent approach to creating organisational cultures that foster child safety and wellbeing.

Youth Custodial Rules cover the management of BHDC and young people held in detention derived from the Young Offenders Act 1994.