Mid West prisoners struggling with mental health as a result of overcrowding: report

Inmates at a Mid West jail say they have struggled with the increased population at the prison which is causing mental health concerns, according to a new report.

In July last year, representatives from the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services visited Greenough Regional Prison to conduct an inspection, after several years of negative feedback.

In the report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, Inspector of Custodial Services Eamon Ryan said the increased number of prisoners had created issues, with a 63 per cent increase in the prison population since the last inspection in 2021.

As a result prisoners felt the infrastructure was unable to keep up, with a reliance on converting cells to house more inmates instead of more accommodation being constructed.

Female prisoners were moved from unit four temporarily to Perth in February 2024, with population pressures leading Greenough to offer to accommodate close to 80 out-of-country men.

Unit five was reopened in April 2024 to accommodate those local women returning, but the space was not fit for purpose.

“We love being home, but you gave our unit away,” one female prisoner told the inspector.

First Nations prisoners made up 84 per cent of the population at Greenough Prison, but those out-of-country from the Kimberley and Pilbara felt “culturally lost” and had poor mental health as a result of their relocation.

Prisoners also faced difficulties attending funerals due to staff shortages, with attendance being an important obligation for First Nations people.

According to the report, prisoners also found it difficult to find meaning within the prison walls, with a lack of capacity to find employment for more than 300 men and up to 32 women, health services remaining without expansion and prisoners forced to eat in their cells or at outside tables due to the lack of space.

Mr Ryan also noted a lack of access to cultural foods for First Nations prisoners, which he described as “disappointing”.

Minimum security prisoners also felt there were few opportunities to self-cater, which is common in other like-prisons.

Unit six was understood to have no kitchen and no funding to install one.

“In every other minimum-security prison, you are allowed to buy sausages,chops, chicken and you also have frying pans, pots, cooking equipment,” one prisoner said.

“I don’t understand if this is a minimum unit why don’t we have these facilities here?”

In terms of health, dental care and mental health services appeared to have declined and although counselling had returned there was a need for more resourcing.

Nine recommendations were made, including planning for infrastructure improvements, improving access to meals, reviewing practices and developing targeted health care and resources, the majority of which were supported

Despite the issues, there were positives taken from the inspection including decreases to work-related stress and improvements of the quality of working life within the prison.

Meanwhile, the general working relationship between staff and prisoners was positive, with most inmates believing officers treated them with respect.

Prisoners found education was important, albeit limited after a reduction of classes to due staff turnover.

Staff also expressed they were “future focused” and “optimistic” about the prison going forward.

Department of Justice director-general Kylie Maj said the department was committed to boost staffing levels and working opportunities for prisoners.

“Recruitment processes were under way for several positions including an employment co-ordinator and VSOs, which would expand eligible prisoners’ engagement in the community through our prisoner employment and Section 95 work programs,” she said.