Another 344 new beds to ease WA’s overcrowded prison estate
23 April 2019
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McGowan Labor Government continues smarter and more efficient approach to fixing inherited overcrowded prisons crisis with 'behind-the-fence' builds
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Another 344 new beds to be added to Casuarina Prison in addition to 512 new beds already under construction
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Expansion projects to create hundreds of jobs for local workers through construction
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Long-term prison estate expansion plan has also been developed for the first time in six years
Casuarina Prison is set to become one of the largest
prisons in Australia with 344 new beds to be added, bringing the total
general purpose capacity to 1,782 by 2022.
Corrective Services Minister Francis Logan today announced a $186
million funding injection, as part of the 2019-20 State Budget, towards
the expansion of Casuarina Prison.
The significant funding for the new beds also includes supporting
infrastructure along with a $3.3 million upgrade of Casuarina's security
systems.
These new beds are in addition to 512 new beds to be housed across four
new prison units at Casuarina, which are now under construction.
The short and medium-term builds form part of the staged expansion
projects underpinned by the State Government's long-term custodial
infrastructure plan through to 2031.
It is the first time that there has been a proposed long-term plan for
Western Australia's prison estate for six years.
Current predictions show that if this Government had not acted, the
demand for male prisoner beds would have exceeded supply by mid-2022.
Despite assurances by Opposition Leader Mike Nahan, the State's former
Treasurer, that there was money set aside for a new prison, there was
only $1.2 million for a scoping study for a prison that was needed in
2015.
The current construction of the 512 beds at Casuarina is expected to be
finished in two stages, with the first two units ready by the end of
this year.
The remaining two units, which will include the State's first alcohol
and other drug treatment prison for men, will be in place in early 2020.
Another prison unit, costing $23.7 million, is now under construction at
Bunbury Regional Prison and is expected to be completed by August 2019
bringing another 160 beds on-line.
The Casuarina expansion, including the 512-bed project and the
subsequent 344-bed project and related infrastructure upgrades, will
create more than 2,000 local jobs and will create significant
opportunities for local businesses.
Comments attributed to Corrective Services Minister Francis
Logan:
"It was appalling mismanagement by the previous Liberal National
Government that Western Australia's prison estate had virtually no
short, medium or long-term plans in place.
"The prison estate was in such a mess when I took on this portfolio that
the only solution put forward was to simply put more prisoners in the
same amount of cells.
"If we had not acted by using existing prison land to build in a smarter
and more efficient way, then our prisons would have been over capacity
in just a handful of years.
"These extra 344 beds will be in brand new units that have purpose-built
cells to accommodate multiple prisoners.
"This expansion of the 344 beds comes on top of the 512 beds now under
construction, and will make Casuarina Western Australia's biggest prison
and also one of its most innovative.
"Casuarina will have Western Australia's first alcohol and other drug
treatment prison for men by the middle of 2020, and there are plans to
have a mental health unit as well.
"We are also looking at a variety of options for future beds including
aged care and special cohorts housing.
"The McGowan Labor Government is also investing $3.3 million to upgrade
the security systems at Casuarina to ensure safety and security are at
the highest level possible.
"This new build of 344 beds is estimated to create hundreds of new local
jobs and will include as much local content as possible, which is great
news for the economy.
"By having a long-term custodial infrastructure plan in place, it not
only gives the Government future options but will help guide future
planning and provide a direction for bringing Western Australia's prison
estate back under control after years of neglect."
--ENDS--
Source: Western Australia Government - www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au
Contact: Minister's office - 6552 6300
External Links: N/A
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