Media Releases

Prison Inspector says Bunbury Prison staff at risk while facility bursts at the seams.

The WA Prison Officers’ Union (WAPOU) has called on the Barnett Government to fix the serious concerns raised by the Inspector of Custodial Services in his report into Bunbury Regional Prison released today.WAPOU Secretary John Welch said the Inspectorâ ...

Promised Prison beds at Greenough still not delivered

In November 2009 the Barnett Government announced a new male maximum-security unit would be built at Greenough Prison then months later decided not to site the unit at Greenough but announced they would build a female unit in its place.It’s now November ...

No benefit but serious risk with decision to outsource new Young Offenders Facility

The WA Prison Officers’ Union (WAPOU) has called on the Barnett Government to reverse its decision to outsource a new Young Adults Facility.Expressing disappointment at the announcement today, WAPOU Secretary John Welch said he was very surprised that a ...

WAPOU calls for independent analysis into costs of privatised prisons

The WA Prison Officers Union (WAPOU) is calling for an independent analysis into the real costs of running privatised prisons after the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services released a report into Acacia Prison that failed to account for several o ...

Lives put at risk with renewal of privatised prison transport

The WA Prison Officers Union (WAPOU) has today slammed the WA government’s decision to award global private company, Serco, with the responsibility of WA’s prisoner transport, court security and other custodial services operations.“The privatisation ...

Double-bunking not the answer to prison over-crowding crisis

Over crowding in WA’s prisons is chronic and has become the norm rather than the exception, creating a workplace where Prison Officers are increasingly put at risk, the WA Prison Officers Union said today.“It is clear that WA prisons have reached brea ...

WA prison officers support call to terminate privatised prison services

Secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union (WAPOU) Mr John Welch will today speak about the devastating risks associated with the privatisation of prisons at a rally organised by Deaths in Custody Watch.Mr Welch said that the Prison Officers Union strongly ...

Kalgoorlie MP urged to act on over-crowded prison

Frontline Prison Officers will today meet local Local Member for Kalgoorlie John Bowler over concerns about privatization and over-crowding at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison.Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison has been identified by the WA Prison Offic ...