Comment on incident at Hakea Prison
Wednesday 22 Mar 2023
Quotes attributed to WAPOU Secretary Andy Smith:
“The WA Prison Officers’ Union is offering support to the officers who were brutally attacked
at Hakea Prison yesterday morning.
“We understand three officers were attacked on Tuesday morning by a 20-year-old male
prisoner, who had recently come from Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
“One female officer was picked up off her feet and thrown to the ground while one of the
male officers was punched in the face.
“The attacks are a result of serious understaffing and poor prison management.
“The current number of prison officers cannot effectively supervise the number of prisoners.
It’s like putting one lifesaver on duty at Bondi Beach on a busy weekend. They can do their
best but without more help people will get hurt, or worse killed.
“It’s unacceptable, that prison officers are forced to work in such dangerous conditions
because the government fails to act on understaffing.
“The WA Police Minister was recently overseas scouting staff, what is the Minister for
Corrective Services doing?
“How much violence or death will have to continue until the government wakes up?”
Media contact: Rebecca Munro rmunro@regenstrategic.com.au