Basil Zempilas says prison overcrowding an ‘indictment’ on prison system after carjacker gets soft sentence

Basil Zempilas has called prison overcrowding an “indictment” on the Cook Government after a judge gave a softer sentence to a violent car jacker because of the “outrageous” conditions at Hakea Prison. But he stopped short of committing to support a potential $1 billion price tag for a new prison. District Court Judge Gary Massey on Tuesday ruled that Coen Richard Dorizzi could walk free from prison on parole in a matter of months, blaming in part the “unacceptable conditions” at Hakea Prison. The Opposition Leader said custodial arrangements shouldn’t influence sentencing, but laid blame at the Government. “It is an indictment on this Government that there are not sufficient custodial facilities available,” Mr Zempilas told 6PR Radio. “This is a basic expectation . . . People really dislike the worst of the offenders being given some form of leniency because there is not an adequate supply of prison space for them to be accommodated in.” Inspector of Custodial Services Eamonn Ryan has called for a new prison to be built. “They have an all-time high record population,” he said. “I think it’s inevitable that they have to make a commitment to build a new prison. What, where and how that looks like. The (Justice) Department’s got some long term plans. They just need to be approved and funded. “But I think it’s not just a case of building prisons. You’ve got to improve rehabilitation, you’ve got to address the pipeline.” Asked whether a new prison is needed, Mr Zempilas said “some form of expansion within existing footprints” is his preference. “It is clear if we can’t send people away for long enough or for what they deserve, and if magistrates and judges are doing things like not giving a full sentence because of the room that’s available, we know that our system is not working,” he said. “That is on the Government, they’ve had nine years now.” The West Australian revealed in July that 388 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor, as the State’s prison system operated at 94 per cent capacity. New figures tabled in State Parliament show prisons were operating at 99 per cent capacity, with 8,496 inmates as of 31 August - up from less than 7,000 in 2018. In July, Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia said a business case to expand prison capacity had been finished, and was being considered.